Petersburg
A high ceiling of silvery clouds hung over the community of Petersburg as the ship carefully drew towards the dock before breakfast. This town does get over 100 inches of precipitation a year, but today the clouds broke, providing excellent conditions for flightseeing by float plane or helicopter, walking through town or taking a trail on Kupreanof Island just across the channel. From the air, the Patterson and LeConte Glaciers were magnificent! Deep crevasses fractured the flowing ice in great arcs, and bears and mountain goats contrasted with the background below. Hikers wound through a forest punctuated with bird songs, then examined the waterlogged cushions of peat and tiny flowering plants in a boggy muskeg.
There was time to stroll the docks to study numerous fishing vessels equipped with a variety of equipment to reap their harvest from the rich Southeast Alaskan waters. The galley took advantage of the opportunity to buy local crabs and other seafood to tempt us for future meals.
Clinging to exposed pilings and hanging just beneath the water, a myriad of marine invertebrates opened our eyes to another world. Fluffy anemones, sea cucumbers, feather-duster worms and barnacles decorated the docks. Sea stars gripped tenaciously with their tube feet while mussels held on with tough byssal threads. Of course it’s easiest to observe these creatures while lying on one’s belly. Our group must have been quite a sight to the local fishermen tending their boats!
Bald eagles perched majestically on trees and pilings, sternly surveying their surroundings. Immature birds and a few adults walked on rocks and mud exposed by low tide, searching for an easy meal. The number of eagles was astounding, and their chittering calls pierced the air.
Throughout the afternoon, we were on wildlife watch. The ship snuck up on a black bear that grazed on shore. A humpback whale spouted and fluked in the distance, so we relocated for closer looks. Later we stopped for four other whales, including a cow and calf pair. After enjoying these animals for some time, both breached! It’s amazing that such huge mammals can launch themselves out of the water so gracefully. One double breach followed another then another for a spectacular display of behavior. Fortunately for us, a whale researcher was also watching these individuals, and he agreed to join us to discuss his work. Andy Szabo has boarded the Sea Lion many times before, and it is always a treat to have him aboard. Following his talk, we feasted on Dungeness crab from Petersburg. It was a delicious finish to another exciting day.
A high ceiling of silvery clouds hung over the community of Petersburg as the ship carefully drew towards the dock before breakfast. This town does get over 100 inches of precipitation a year, but today the clouds broke, providing excellent conditions for flightseeing by float plane or helicopter, walking through town or taking a trail on Kupreanof Island just across the channel. From the air, the Patterson and LeConte Glaciers were magnificent! Deep crevasses fractured the flowing ice in great arcs, and bears and mountain goats contrasted with the background below. Hikers wound through a forest punctuated with bird songs, then examined the waterlogged cushions of peat and tiny flowering plants in a boggy muskeg.
There was time to stroll the docks to study numerous fishing vessels equipped with a variety of equipment to reap their harvest from the rich Southeast Alaskan waters. The galley took advantage of the opportunity to buy local crabs and other seafood to tempt us for future meals.
Clinging to exposed pilings and hanging just beneath the water, a myriad of marine invertebrates opened our eyes to another world. Fluffy anemones, sea cucumbers, feather-duster worms and barnacles decorated the docks. Sea stars gripped tenaciously with their tube feet while mussels held on with tough byssal threads. Of course it’s easiest to observe these creatures while lying on one’s belly. Our group must have been quite a sight to the local fishermen tending their boats!
Bald eagles perched majestically on trees and pilings, sternly surveying their surroundings. Immature birds and a few adults walked on rocks and mud exposed by low tide, searching for an easy meal. The number of eagles was astounding, and their chittering calls pierced the air.
Throughout the afternoon, we were on wildlife watch. The ship snuck up on a black bear that grazed on shore. A humpback whale spouted and fluked in the distance, so we relocated for closer looks. Later we stopped for four other whales, including a cow and calf pair. After enjoying these animals for some time, both breached! It’s amazing that such huge mammals can launch themselves out of the water so gracefully. One double breach followed another then another for a spectacular display of behavior. Fortunately for us, a whale researcher was also watching these individuals, and he agreed to join us to discuss his work. Andy Szabo has boarded the Sea Lion many times before, and it is always a treat to have him aboard. Following his talk, we feasted on Dungeness crab from Petersburg. It was a delicious finish to another exciting day.
