Petersburg and LeConte Bay
Just before breakfast we arrived in Petersburg. It was obvious what drives the local economy as we were surrounded by a multitude of commercial fishing boats. The fishing season is not yet in full swing, and most of the boats looked fresh and ready, with just a few still making last minute repairs to nets and skiffs. We docked close to town and had ample time to explore the shops along the main street. Surrounded by the Tongass National Forest, Petersburg offers a variety of good hiking trails. We went by Zodiac to access one trail that leads up through a forest to a bog and then on to a beautiful river. In the forest, we found banana slugs and their slime trails. In the bog our naturalists introduced us to the unique plants adapted to this wet, acid environment; the most interesting was the sundew, which catches and digests insects. Some adventurous guests took to the skies for flightseeing tours of the nearby LeConte glacier.
As we crossed Fredrick Sound on our way to LeConte Bay, we encountered a lone humpback whale that appeared to be feeding just below the surface. It came up several times with its mouth open and we followed it for a while, but it never showed its fluke. The Captain anchored Sea Bird just off the LeConte Bar, a shallow area left behind from the retreating glacier. We launched our Zodiacs, and explored the area where large icebergs from the LeConte glacier pile up, unable to pass over the bar. Maneuvering amongst these ice giants, we saw the cool blue splendor of the glacier’s remnants. In the Zodiacs, we pushed our way through brash ice, fended off bergy bits, and encountered harbor seals and arctic terns along the way.
We finished the day with a delicious fresh Dungeness crab dinner. The paper tablecloths put down for the occasion were transformed with crayons into a myriad of colorful designs. It was a festive ending to a wonderful day.
Just before breakfast we arrived in Petersburg. It was obvious what drives the local economy as we were surrounded by a multitude of commercial fishing boats. The fishing season is not yet in full swing, and most of the boats looked fresh and ready, with just a few still making last minute repairs to nets and skiffs. We docked close to town and had ample time to explore the shops along the main street. Surrounded by the Tongass National Forest, Petersburg offers a variety of good hiking trails. We went by Zodiac to access one trail that leads up through a forest to a bog and then on to a beautiful river. In the forest, we found banana slugs and their slime trails. In the bog our naturalists introduced us to the unique plants adapted to this wet, acid environment; the most interesting was the sundew, which catches and digests insects. Some adventurous guests took to the skies for flightseeing tours of the nearby LeConte glacier.
As we crossed Fredrick Sound on our way to LeConte Bay, we encountered a lone humpback whale that appeared to be feeding just below the surface. It came up several times with its mouth open and we followed it for a while, but it never showed its fluke. The Captain anchored Sea Bird just off the LeConte Bar, a shallow area left behind from the retreating glacier. We launched our Zodiacs, and explored the area where large icebergs from the LeConte glacier pile up, unable to pass over the bar. Maneuvering amongst these ice giants, we saw the cool blue splendor of the glacier’s remnants. In the Zodiacs, we pushed our way through brash ice, fended off bergy bits, and encountered harbor seals and arctic terns along the way.
We finished the day with a delicious fresh Dungeness crab dinner. The paper tablecloths put down for the occasion were transformed with crayons into a myriad of colorful designs. It was a festive ending to a wonderful day.
