Ideal Cove and Petersburg

Our morning began earlier than expected, with a chance sighting of an adult male killer whale! Our Captain spotted the triangular dorsal fin breaking through the surface and we slowly approached to take a closer look. We were making our way toward the southern end of Frederick Sound and the water was glassy calm. Each time the whale broke through the surface, it was easy to recognize this as a solo male, based upon the fact that it had a very tall, sharp dorsal fin.

We eventually continued on our course toward Ideal Cove at the southern end of Mitkof Island. Ideal Cove is a beautiful trail which provided us a great introduction to the Tongass National Forest. This incredible green-space has a lush understory and wonderful examples of the two dominant conifers, Sitka spruce and western hemlock. We navigated the boardwalks here and a few of us paused often to graze on the blueberries that were ripening alongside the trail.

After our forest exploration, we made our way north into Frederick Sound and then south into Wrangell Narrows, separating Mitkof from Kupreanof Island. The town of Petersburg is at the northern entrance to Wrangell Narrows and was founded on the commercial fishing industry. A warm and friendly place, Petersburg offers much to explore. Some of us braved the sprinkling rain to enjoy a ride through town on bicycles, while others traipsed through the forest to reach a beautiful Alaskan peat bog, or muskeg. Bald eagles fished alongside the waterways, while pigeon guillemots slowly cruised through the small boat harbor. The harbor was unusually quiet today, as much of the commercial fishing fleet was away from town, searching for their catch.

We closed the day with two presentations, separated only by the carnage of a crab feast in our dining room. Sarah Campen, from Southeast Alaska Conservation Council and Andy Szabo, from the Alaska Whale Foundation, came aboard to discuss their organizations’ projects in Southeast Alaska. It was wonderful to hear about the great conservation work and research being done in and around the waters we are cruising. Many questions were generated from the enthusiasm and passion of the presenters.

It was another wonderful day in Southeast Alaska, but different in every way from our experiences thus far. Tonight we sail onward for a day of exploration, heading farther and farther west through the Inside Passage.