Thomas Bay and Petersburg
The National Geographic Sea Lion entered Thomas Bay as a shroud of clouds and fog lifted to reveal the mysterious innards of this scenic area. Weird tales told by gold prospectors in the early 1900s still haunt this bay. Loons, marbled murrelets, common mergansers, bald eagles, and various gulls were in attendance to add to the sublime quality of the morning.
Hiking and Zodiac tours were activities offered for the morning. Intrepid boot-clad hikers were dropped off at the Spurt Lake trailhead, ready for an introduction to the legendary mud and forest ecology along this trail. The Zodiac tours explored the northern end of the bay, with views of the Baird Glacier. Black oystercatchers, Arctic terns, and harlequin ducks were added to the daily list.
For the afternoon we visited the quaint, friendly, and prosperous fishing town of Petersburg on the northern tip of Mitkof Island. Also known as “Little Norway”, it was established by Norwegian immigrant Peter Buschmann in 1897. Several options were available to us here. The weather was excellent for float plane flight-seeing over the Le Conte Glacier. Many guests rode the Zodiacs across the Wrangell Narrows to Kupreanof Island and hiked with the naturalists to learn about the interesting muskeg environment. Sphagnum moss, stunted pines, poor drainage, and carnivorous plants are characteristic of this type of wetland.
Around town, both young and mature bald eagles were abundant. Bicycles were available to explore the outskirts of Petersburg. Larry escorted people around the docks to talk about fishing and fishing boats – the mainstay of Petersburg. Jeff lowered the underwater video camera underneath the dock and recorded anemones and other sea life to show at recap.
The National Geographic Sea Lion departed from Petersburg as our fresh Dungeness crab feast commenced in the dining room. This was followed by desert in the lounge and a presentation by Andy Szabo from the Alaska Whale Foundation to round out this active day.
