LeConte Bay & Petersburg
We spent the morning wandering through a moving garden of sculpted ice. The Zodiacs provided an intimate look at the countless icebergs that have calved off of LeConte Glacier. LeConte is the southernmost glacier in the northern hemisphere that calves into the sea and at a rate of about 90 feet per day it is the fastest flowing glacier on the earth. The equivalent of a 500 by 500 foot ice cube is released everyday and when it melts, five to six million tons of water are added to the ocean. For us this meant a spectacular display of brilliant blue and vibrant white ice art. What one sees here today may not be what one sees here tomorrow.
After lunch we docked in Petersburg, a wonderfully small Norwegian town that hosts a large fishing fleet. It is the 10th largest producer of fish in the United States. While some toured the dock, talking to the local fisherman, others explored the town by bicycle and by foot. An afternoon hike on Kupreanof Island provided a unique look at a muskeg environment so typical of Alaska. Back on board, we were able to enjoy some yummy catch of the sea with an all you can eat crab feast to finish yet another fabulous day aboard the Sea Lion.
We spent the morning wandering through a moving garden of sculpted ice. The Zodiacs provided an intimate look at the countless icebergs that have calved off of LeConte Glacier. LeConte is the southernmost glacier in the northern hemisphere that calves into the sea and at a rate of about 90 feet per day it is the fastest flowing glacier on the earth. The equivalent of a 500 by 500 foot ice cube is released everyday and when it melts, five to six million tons of water are added to the ocean. For us this meant a spectacular display of brilliant blue and vibrant white ice art. What one sees here today may not be what one sees here tomorrow.
After lunch we docked in Petersburg, a wonderfully small Norwegian town that hosts a large fishing fleet. It is the 10th largest producer of fish in the United States. While some toured the dock, talking to the local fisherman, others explored the town by bicycle and by foot. An afternoon hike on Kupreanof Island provided a unique look at a muskeg environment so typical of Alaska. Back on board, we were able to enjoy some yummy catch of the sea with an all you can eat crab feast to finish yet another fabulous day aboard the Sea Lion.
