Ideal Cove and Petersburg
Dense fog engulfed National Geographic Sea Lion as we cruised through the south end of Frederick Sound and anchored in Ideal Cove. It was so thick that we had to use GPS units and the ship’s radar to get the first Zodiacs to shore. The trail was the perfect starting point for an outing along a path that connects four lakes. The U.S. Forest Service maintains a superb trail system of planks covered by fishing net that provides a nonslip surface for hiking. We entered a growth of spruces and hemlocks enshrouded in mist that gave our experience a Mesozoic ambience. Beams of sunlight soon filtered through the overcast, wet plants shined as the light played with contrasts. Droplets of fog clung to and thickened spider webs, causing them to sag from the extra weight. These orbs picked up extra brilliance and became the decorations of the forest. It was like magic that these structures appeared and now became the focal point for everywhere we looked. With only a bit of luck, we see what has been there all along.
Our Expedition Leader radioed that a sub-adult gray whale was swimming near the ship. A few of the crew members watched it spy hop and continue on its way. As we returned from the hikes, the Zodiac drivers took us on a detour to see the whale from a distance. In Baja California this would be no unusual sight, but to see a gray in the inland waters of Southeast Alaska is very special. Out of the combined staff experience of over 65 years, none of us had ever seen a gray whale here. Normally they pass off the outer coast on their way to the Bering, Chuckchi and Beaufort Seas. This one had a line wrapped around its tail stock, perhaps from a fishing net. Although the whale moved slowly, it seemed to be alright. The National Marine Fisheries Service and the whale stranding network were notified.
Petersburg is an interesting and multifaceted exposure to Southeast Alaska. This mostly Norwegian town has two large canneries and a fleet of fishing boats. Pink salmon are caught by purse seiners, king and silver salmon with trollers, and sockeye and chums with gillnetters. In addition, longliners fish for halibut, black cod and rockfish; crabbers for Dungeness, snow and king crabs; and trawlers target shrimp. These fishermen brought in a staggering 55.4 million pounds of seafood in 2010. This helps explain the high standard of living and the number of quality homes we passed on our passage into town.
A nearby muskeg, or peat bog, was another destination for hikers. Where the land is poorly drained and not too steep, this ecosystem flourishes and supports sphagnum mosses and other acid-loving plants. It is a veritable garden of bonsai shore pines and mountain hemlocks, carnivorous sundews and small dark pools full of bog beans and tiny aquatic predators ready to tear apart any mosquito or small insect that dares to linger.
Some took to the air by floatplane to view the nearby LeConte Glacier, while others explored the bustling town that provides for the needs of the hardy residents here. A dinner of delicious local crab was the finale for our evening.
