LeConte Bay & Petersburg, Alaska
Energized by the sun’s bright rays, we started our morning with Zodiac cruises under blue skies in LeConte Bay. Although the bay is several miles from the actual face of the LeConte glacier, this tidewater glacier is one of the most active, so we had plenty of icebergs to check out. The only problem of the morning was that there were so many icebergs in the bay, we couldn’t possibly begin to see them all! Thanks to the skilled maneuverings of the Expedition Staff and Bosun Chris, we were able to meet these giant ice formations up-close in the Zodiacs. The incoming tide rushed all around us, but the bergs were so massive, they were mired in the mud far below the surface. Held fast in the mud below, were able to closely examine these unique cast-offs. We moved smoothly amongst the bergs, taking pictures, admiring the way the ice seemed to mirror the background landscapes. As the sun warmed the bergs, we could hear the water dripping off them like a spring rain. We marveled over the variations of color – ice blue, white blue, blue blue…our descriptions were creative, but we didn’t even come close to identifying the myriad shades of ice. As we zoomed from bergie bit to berg, we spied red-footed pigeon guillemots floating alongside the Zodiacs. The cloudless sky guaranteed spectacular views of the snow-capped mountains in the distance. As the morning passed, we reluctantly headed back to the Sea Lion, casting last looks at the enormous sculptures of ice.
Weighing anchor from LeConte Bay, we headed into the small fishing village of Petersburg. Located on Mitkof Island, this town’s population depends mainly on the fleet of fishing vessels that come here every summer. Our afternoon’s activities included flight seeing in floatplanes or helicopters for some, sightseeing and shopping along the main street, or exploring a nearby muskeg. Those who went flight seeing glimpsed a group of fellow travelers walking through the bog below! As the floatplanes followed the cliff edges, some of us were able to spot the white coats of mountain goats. Meanwhile, back on the ground, those who opted for the bog-walk learned about the western shore pine, and the importance of the muskeg’s unusual eco-system that is dominated by sphagnum moss.
As we cast off from Petersburg in the late afternoon, many of us stayed on deck, enjoying the golden sunshine. With the dinner hour approaching, we watched as Captain Martin guided the ship through the narrow channel aptly named “Wrangell Narrows.” Closing our day was a lovely sunset off the aft of the ship as we sailed along, heading towards tomorrow’s adventures.
Energized by the sun’s bright rays, we started our morning with Zodiac cruises under blue skies in LeConte Bay. Although the bay is several miles from the actual face of the LeConte glacier, this tidewater glacier is one of the most active, so we had plenty of icebergs to check out. The only problem of the morning was that there were so many icebergs in the bay, we couldn’t possibly begin to see them all! Thanks to the skilled maneuverings of the Expedition Staff and Bosun Chris, we were able to meet these giant ice formations up-close in the Zodiacs. The incoming tide rushed all around us, but the bergs were so massive, they were mired in the mud far below the surface. Held fast in the mud below, were able to closely examine these unique cast-offs. We moved smoothly amongst the bergs, taking pictures, admiring the way the ice seemed to mirror the background landscapes. As the sun warmed the bergs, we could hear the water dripping off them like a spring rain. We marveled over the variations of color – ice blue, white blue, blue blue…our descriptions were creative, but we didn’t even come close to identifying the myriad shades of ice. As we zoomed from bergie bit to berg, we spied red-footed pigeon guillemots floating alongside the Zodiacs. The cloudless sky guaranteed spectacular views of the snow-capped mountains in the distance. As the morning passed, we reluctantly headed back to the Sea Lion, casting last looks at the enormous sculptures of ice.
Weighing anchor from LeConte Bay, we headed into the small fishing village of Petersburg. Located on Mitkof Island, this town’s population depends mainly on the fleet of fishing vessels that come here every summer. Our afternoon’s activities included flight seeing in floatplanes or helicopters for some, sightseeing and shopping along the main street, or exploring a nearby muskeg. Those who went flight seeing glimpsed a group of fellow travelers walking through the bog below! As the floatplanes followed the cliff edges, some of us were able to spot the white coats of mountain goats. Meanwhile, back on the ground, those who opted for the bog-walk learned about the western shore pine, and the importance of the muskeg’s unusual eco-system that is dominated by sphagnum moss.
As we cast off from Petersburg in the late afternoon, many of us stayed on deck, enjoying the golden sunshine. With the dinner hour approaching, we watched as Captain Martin guided the ship through the narrow channel aptly named “Wrangell Narrows.” Closing our day was a lovely sunset off the aft of the ship as we sailed along, heading towards tomorrow’s adventures.
