Petersburg & Frederick Sound
The peaceful open waterway of Frederick Sound contrasted dramatically with the hustle and bustle of the harbor at Petersburg as we pulled in before breakfast. Houses and fish-processing facilities lined the banks, sea lions patrolled the harbor and rested on buoys, and boats pulled out from their berths at the crowded docks. It was a busy morning filled with options. Two groups boarded float planes for a scenic flight that included views of the LeConte Glacier, the southernmost tidewater glacier in North America. Hikers transferred to nearby Kupreanof Island by Zodiac to take an aerobic walk or to reach a fascinating muskeg, or peat bog. This habitat is a fairyland of dwarfed trees, tiny pools, and carpets of peat moss. Carnivorous sundews, bog orchids, and other specialized plants survive in this wet, acidic environment. In addition to the flightseeing and hiking, there was free time to see the town. Joggers burned off calories on the quiet streets. It was also possible to wander the roads or take a bicycle to explore. A variety of fishing boats choked the docks—a good place to study the differences between seiners, trollers, buyers and gill-netting rigs. By lunch, it was time to leave this interesting spot in search of other adventures.
Following a presentation on humpback whales, several of these magnificent animals appeared ahead of the ship. Their wispy spouts lingered in the still air against a lush backdrop of spruces and hemlocks. We spotted more whales in the distance and moved on to get closer views. Just prior to taking a deeper dive the humpbacks arched their backs and then lifted their dripping flukes from the sea. It was fun to observe how different the colors were on the undersides of the tails. Some individuals displayed nearly white skin, while others showed black or intermediate patterns. Each individual has a unique coloration that can be used by researchers for identification in the same way that fingerprints are used in humans.
We observed these impressive mammals for a short while, and then suddenly, the entire group erupted from the water in an incredible mass of open mouths. This type of foraging behavior is referred to as bubble-net feeding. One individual swims in a circle releasing bubbles along the way. These rise in a shiny column that startles the fish into the center of the ring of bubbles. The whales then rise up and lunge to the surface with mouths agape to engulf the concentrated prey. It was fantastic! As we continued on towards Chatham Strait, we encountered other humpbacks as they rose for air then arched, fluked, and submerged once again. Finally it was time for us to go below as well to eat a delicious dinner that included fresh Dungeness crab from the town of Petersburg.
The peaceful open waterway of Frederick Sound contrasted dramatically with the hustle and bustle of the harbor at Petersburg as we pulled in before breakfast. Houses and fish-processing facilities lined the banks, sea lions patrolled the harbor and rested on buoys, and boats pulled out from their berths at the crowded docks. It was a busy morning filled with options. Two groups boarded float planes for a scenic flight that included views of the LeConte Glacier, the southernmost tidewater glacier in North America. Hikers transferred to nearby Kupreanof Island by Zodiac to take an aerobic walk or to reach a fascinating muskeg, or peat bog. This habitat is a fairyland of dwarfed trees, tiny pools, and carpets of peat moss. Carnivorous sundews, bog orchids, and other specialized plants survive in this wet, acidic environment. In addition to the flightseeing and hiking, there was free time to see the town. Joggers burned off calories on the quiet streets. It was also possible to wander the roads or take a bicycle to explore. A variety of fishing boats choked the docks—a good place to study the differences between seiners, trollers, buyers and gill-netting rigs. By lunch, it was time to leave this interesting spot in search of other adventures.
Following a presentation on humpback whales, several of these magnificent animals appeared ahead of the ship. Their wispy spouts lingered in the still air against a lush backdrop of spruces and hemlocks. We spotted more whales in the distance and moved on to get closer views. Just prior to taking a deeper dive the humpbacks arched their backs and then lifted their dripping flukes from the sea. It was fun to observe how different the colors were on the undersides of the tails. Some individuals displayed nearly white skin, while others showed black or intermediate patterns. Each individual has a unique coloration that can be used by researchers for identification in the same way that fingerprints are used in humans.
We observed these impressive mammals for a short while, and then suddenly, the entire group erupted from the water in an incredible mass of open mouths. This type of foraging behavior is referred to as bubble-net feeding. One individual swims in a circle releasing bubbles along the way. These rise in a shiny column that startles the fish into the center of the ring of bubbles. The whales then rise up and lunge to the surface with mouths agape to engulf the concentrated prey. It was fantastic! As we continued on towards Chatham Strait, we encountered other humpbacks as they rose for air then arched, fluked, and submerged once again. Finally it was time for us to go below as well to eat a delicious dinner that included fresh Dungeness crab from the town of Petersburg.
