LeConte Bay/Petersburg, Alaska

In the morning, and after days of overcast skies, Sea Bird threaded her way through sculptured icebergs that had once calved from LeConte Glacier. For years LeConte has been receding towards its ice field. It is dominated by the Devil’s Thumb, a bare tubular rock tower that juts into the sky within view of the fishing town of Petersburg. Zodiac rounds took guests among blue-white bergs (and if you had a vivid imagination) with shapes resembling every known Alaska animal. Besides the bobbing ice show, guests counted bald eagles, harbor seals, surf scoters and of course omnipresent, resilient sea gulls. The glacier itself was too far inland to see, but the large bergs put on their own act with calving, gunshot-like sounds, and smooth ripples. Not all the morning entertainment was provided by nature. Aboard the ship, the Historian gave back-to-back presentations about Native art and culture.

Petersburg is Alaska’s most Norwegian community. On the shore side, it is characterized by one of the most colorful fishing fleets in the Great Land (over 100 millions pounds of seafood are processed here annually, and at one time it was the halibut capital of the world). Founded in 1897 by Peter Buschmann, Petersburg today holds Norwegian festivals, boasts a large Sons of Norway Hall, offers Scandinavian baked delicacies, and is proud to have rosmaling (Norwegian painted floral designs) throughout the town.

During the afternoon, Lindblad staff led guests on explorations of Petersburg Creek, which abuts a muskeg bog on Kapreanof Island; scheduled flights over LeConte Glacier where Mountain goats were seen on the ice field; provided a “history walk” through the town ending with a visit to the charming Clausen Museum; and conducted an interpretive tour of Petersburg’s colorful fishing docks, boats and fishing facilities.

During Re-cap, a knowledgeable Petersburg resident and employee of the state Fish and Game Department described types of fishing gear, boats and regulations that collectively shape the local economy. Following the traditional crab and rib feast, a representative of the Alaska Whale Foundation provided an overview of that organization’s efforts in researching and conserving the humpback whale population.