Fredrick Sound & Petersburg
In the early morning hours, while cruising in Fredrick Sound, we encountered a Steller sea lion haulout on one of the Brothers Islands. Unlike the other haulouts we have visited during this trip, these Steller sea lions chose an island with large trees and barnacle covered rocks. The morning light shimmered on the wet coats of the sparing males while gangs of sub-adults frolicked in the water. Throughout the morning, we continued our search for marine mammals and were not disappointed. A young humpback whale, left unsupervised by its mother, entertained us by repeatedly breaching, breaking the flat calm surface of the water. Within minutes of the mother’s return, the two synchronized their dives and flowed as one unit. We were blessed by another morning of marine mammal viewing in the warmth of the Alaskan sun.
Shortly after lunch, we convened on the deck to watch the Captain maneuver our 152 foot vessel into the small harbor of Petersburg. Commercial fishing vessels lined the docks illustrating to us the livelihood of this small Alaskan town. We were busy this afternoon with a variety of activities. Whether we were walking the planks through the muskeg, getting a bird’s eye view of a glacier in a floatplane, supporting the local economy with our souvenir purchases, or wandering amidst the fishing vessels, Petersburg provided us with a true Alaskan experience. During cocktail hour, Andy Szabo, a researcher with the Alaska Whale Foundation, gave a presentation on the Humpback whales of Fredrick Sound. After a feast of Dungeness crab legs and ribs, we bid Petersburg farewell and began our journey north.
In the early morning hours, while cruising in Fredrick Sound, we encountered a Steller sea lion haulout on one of the Brothers Islands. Unlike the other haulouts we have visited during this trip, these Steller sea lions chose an island with large trees and barnacle covered rocks. The morning light shimmered on the wet coats of the sparing males while gangs of sub-adults frolicked in the water. Throughout the morning, we continued our search for marine mammals and were not disappointed. A young humpback whale, left unsupervised by its mother, entertained us by repeatedly breaching, breaking the flat calm surface of the water. Within minutes of the mother’s return, the two synchronized their dives and flowed as one unit. We were blessed by another morning of marine mammal viewing in the warmth of the Alaskan sun.
Shortly after lunch, we convened on the deck to watch the Captain maneuver our 152 foot vessel into the small harbor of Petersburg. Commercial fishing vessels lined the docks illustrating to us the livelihood of this small Alaskan town. We were busy this afternoon with a variety of activities. Whether we were walking the planks through the muskeg, getting a bird’s eye view of a glacier in a floatplane, supporting the local economy with our souvenir purchases, or wandering amidst the fishing vessels, Petersburg provided us with a true Alaskan experience. During cocktail hour, Andy Szabo, a researcher with the Alaska Whale Foundation, gave a presentation on the Humpback whales of Fredrick Sound. After a feast of Dungeness crab legs and ribs, we bid Petersburg farewell and began our journey north.
