Scenery Cove, Thomas Bay and Petersburg
Bright sunlight glowing through low cloud layers met our recently dreaming eyes as the National Geographic Sea Bird rounded a rocky corner into Scenery Cove early this morning. At the head of this tiny steep-walled fiord, an outlet stream tumbled through the grassy meadow, certainly fine salmon spawning habitat and a quintessential Southeast Alaskan scene. Tall lanky Sitka spruce, Alaska yellow cedar and western hemlock trees clung to the sheer tonalite walls (yes, Harold, we were listening), as we wondered how these conifers could grow so beautifully in such adverse conditions.
Zodiacs and kayaks deployed, we explored the cove more closely, enjoying the mussels and sea stars of the intertidal zone, while marbled murrelets’ plaintive calls echoed across the water. Out into Thomas Bay were great views of harbor seals and the grounded Baird Glacier, named for an Alaskan naturalist.
Petersburg, settled by Norwegian born Peter Buschmann in 1899 for its protected location and proximity to glacial ice, has always relied on fishing as its main industry. Halibut, salmon, Dungeness crab, and black cod are all species caught here that we will enjoy on our voyage. The afternoon was a montage of activity; walks on the docks and in the bog at Petersburg Creek, bicycling, flight-seeing and strolling through this tidy unspoiled town were enjoyed by all.
