The talk of the town in Petersburg of late has been the weather. Word has it that a typical month of May in this part of the world should see around five inches of precipitation. This May’s rainfall exceeded 15 inches, with more coming down today. Temperatures this past month have been cooler than average as well; many of Southeast Alaska’s signs of spring are straggling into being later and a bit soggier than usual.
In weather like this, one embraces the showers, layers up, and savors the warmth and comfort of the ship upon returning from each adventurous outing. Our port call saw opportunities for exploring unique landscapes and learning from locals whose people have lived sustainably on this land for thousands of years. We poked around the slips and docks of the bustling waterfront via Zodiac or took a brisk hike up past the boggy land surrounding town to the steeper forested mountain slopes above. Petersburg is a bustling, tightly connected community and a delight to visit. It is always time well-spent to do some unstructured exploration of its compact, lively, locals-oriented downtown.
Everyone gathered back aboard the ship in the late afternoon for an enriching talk from a community leader. As National Geographic Quest got underway for the misty expanse of Frederick Sound, it was time for a lively evening of feasting, festivity, fascinating dive footage from our undersea team, impromptu fashion shows featuring the fusion of art and science, and the fiercely competitive fun that is an after-dinner game of trivia.
