Petersburg and Thomas Bay
Enveloped by mist and Alaskan liquid sunshine, our ship slipped silently into the bustling fishing town of Petersburg. Founded by Norwegian immigrant Peter Buschmann in 1897, ‘Little Norway’ is home to four seafood processing plants and the largest home-based halibut fleet in Southeast Alaska. For those aboard the Sea Bird today, it provided opportunities for flightseeing, bog-walking, and aerobic mountain-climbing expeditions as well as insight into the day-to-day life of fisher folk.
After lunch we headed north and pulled into Thomas Bay for a brief excursion to visit the magnificent waterfalls of Cascade Creek. Mist from the raging torrent snaked through the trees and threatened to trickle down our necks. Fortunately, a young band of child superheroes – henceforth known as the Mist Fighters – emerged from our midst to do battle with the menacing water vapour. After a long and vigorous battle they returned victorious (and a little damp!).
Continuing upstream we crossed a narrow bridge and began to search for rough-skinned newts (Taricha granulose). We were not disappointed, and Naturalist Lee Moll’s latex-clad hands held up a beautiful specimen for all of us to enjoy. This amphibian, also known as the Oregon Newt, can be found from California to Alaska. Like most newts it secretes a toxic substance in its skin to deter predators, and it is estimated that the skin of a single rough-skinned newt contains enough poison to kill thousands of laboratory mice. However observations in other regions suggest that the common garter snake (S.E. Alaska’s only reptile) is partly immune to the toxin’s effects.
The snake may be paralyzed or immobilized for several hours after ingesting a newt, during which time it is vulnerable to predators and unable to properly regulate its body temperature. One would think that a snake would learn from this experience and never eat another newt, but apparently this does not deter them from seeking out this prey. Presumably the snake must derive some benefit from this behaviour; otherwise it should have been weeded out through natural selection. Or perhaps some garter snakes are just thrill-seeking, newt-addicted masochists? If the newt knew the answer he wasn’t telling us, so we released him onto a skunk cabbage leaf and continued on our way.
Back on the ship we dined on fresh Dungeness crab, barbecued ribs, and coleslaw and then released our creative energies in an entertaining (if slightly macabre) sculptural free-for-all. Judges judged, guests guffawed, and prizes were presented. Finally we drifted off to sleep to rest our minds and bodies and dream of the whales we hope to encounter tomorrow.
Enveloped by mist and Alaskan liquid sunshine, our ship slipped silently into the bustling fishing town of Petersburg. Founded by Norwegian immigrant Peter Buschmann in 1897, ‘Little Norway’ is home to four seafood processing plants and the largest home-based halibut fleet in Southeast Alaska. For those aboard the Sea Bird today, it provided opportunities for flightseeing, bog-walking, and aerobic mountain-climbing expeditions as well as insight into the day-to-day life of fisher folk.
After lunch we headed north and pulled into Thomas Bay for a brief excursion to visit the magnificent waterfalls of Cascade Creek. Mist from the raging torrent snaked through the trees and threatened to trickle down our necks. Fortunately, a young band of child superheroes – henceforth known as the Mist Fighters – emerged from our midst to do battle with the menacing water vapour. After a long and vigorous battle they returned victorious (and a little damp!).
Continuing upstream we crossed a narrow bridge and began to search for rough-skinned newts (Taricha granulose). We were not disappointed, and Naturalist Lee Moll’s latex-clad hands held up a beautiful specimen for all of us to enjoy. This amphibian, also known as the Oregon Newt, can be found from California to Alaska. Like most newts it secretes a toxic substance in its skin to deter predators, and it is estimated that the skin of a single rough-skinned newt contains enough poison to kill thousands of laboratory mice. However observations in other regions suggest that the common garter snake (S.E. Alaska’s only reptile) is partly immune to the toxin’s effects.
The snake may be paralyzed or immobilized for several hours after ingesting a newt, during which time it is vulnerable to predators and unable to properly regulate its body temperature. One would think that a snake would learn from this experience and never eat another newt, but apparently this does not deter them from seeking out this prey. Presumably the snake must derive some benefit from this behaviour; otherwise it should have been weeded out through natural selection. Or perhaps some garter snakes are just thrill-seeking, newt-addicted masochists? If the newt knew the answer he wasn’t telling us, so we released him onto a skunk cabbage leaf and continued on our way.
Back on the ship we dined on fresh Dungeness crab, barbecued ribs, and coleslaw and then released our creative energies in an entertaining (if slightly macabre) sculptural free-for-all. Judges judged, guests guffawed, and prizes were presented. Finally we drifted off to sleep to rest our minds and bodies and dream of the whales we hope to encounter tomorrow.
