Ideal Cove and Petersburg
The ship anchored at Ideal Cove for the morning, on the southeast side of Mitkof Island. Some of us explored the coastline more closely by Zodiac, and the rest of us went ashore. We hiked on a boardwalk through mossy forest; in the damp vegetation next to it we saw moose tracks. Skunk cabbage leaves were dark green and enormous. The creek nearby gurgled, many birds sang in the trees above. Some of us walked to a lake, and there were many flowers in bloom: shooting stars, violets, pond lilies, and even some modest bog orchids. A beaver had dammed the small lake, but we did not see him. It was a peaceful, beautiful place.
When we returned to the ship, Andy Szabo, the Director of the Alaska Whale Foundation, gave a fascinating talk about the research his organization does on humpback whales in southeast Alaska. During lunch, the ship repositioned to the town of Petersburg, where we spent our afternoon. A Norwegian man founded Petersburg in 1897; the Sons of Norway Hall is a few steps from the docks, and Norwegian flags are common in town. Bald eagles crowd treetops near the harbor. Snow-dappled mountains complete the Nordic-Alaskan backdrop.
The town was very busy today – fishing boats are gearing up for the coming open fishing seasons, and the docks were bustling with traps, nets, floats and wheelbarrows carrying gear. During the afternoon we had options to investigate an Alaskan muskeg, stroll the docks to learn about the many fishing boats, borrow a bicycle, or take a flight-seeing trip over a nearby glacier. Our afternoon filled with activities of our choosing, and when we returned to the ship, we feasted on Dungeness crab and ribs.
