LeConte Bay and Petersburg
Another great day! We started early, with a 6:30 a.m. wakeup and weather announcement so we knew what to wear--one of the most amazing things is how warm it is--58°F at the start of the day! No wonder the glaciers are melting so fast this summer. Our first event of the day was Zodiac adventuring in the sea off the terminal moraine of the LeConte Glacier. The last big advance of this glacier bulldozed a large pile of sediment into a mound that comes up to such shallow depth that it traps icebergs and bergy bits, chunks of ice that calve off the front of the glacier. The eroded surfaces and fantastical shapes of the LeConte icebergs make this a magical place. Not just for us apparently. We saw bald eagles here – including the fine bird in this photograph, a bald eagle that had settled on top of one of the LeConte icebergs. Blue ice with a verdant background of Sitka spruce and an eagle on top….only in Alaska.
After experiencing the beauty of LeConte Bay, we expected a short transit to Petersburg, with time spent talking about the tectonic evolution of SE Alaska. As it turned out, the orcas of Frederick Strait had other plans for us. When the Sea Bird’s bridge crew alerted us to two pods of orcas near the shore, we quickly abandoned the lounge – poor Rob (our Stanford faculty leader and geology expert who was in the middle of his first lecture). Our naturalists identified juvenile males and females in groups of four to six animals. We followed the magnificent orcas at a distance and were treated to close-up views of orca dorsal fins and the magical sounds of their breathing. Killer whales hunt and feed in SE Alaskan coastal waters and our best guess is these family units were heading south towards LeConte Bay to prey on seals and salmon. We stayed with the pods for the better part of an hour before cruising to Petersburg.
Shortly after noon, we docked at Petersburg, a small Alaskan town founded by a Norwegian fish canner in 1895. Today, Petersburg remains a prosperous center of salmon fishing and canning. During our afternoon “ashore” we split into different groups. Some flew over the local ice fields by float plane or landed on the LeConte Glacier by helicopter. Others went on hikes, choosing either interpretive nature walks along Petersburg Creek or an arduous climb up Petersburg Mountain. For others still, the Tonka fish processing facility was a highlight for some. This artesanal fish smokery specializes in hand processing of all five varieties of salmon. We savored their handiwork and learned something of the modern salmon trade.
Our group reconvened in the evening to recap the events of the day, before enjoying a very satisfying feast of Dungeness crab. Tonight we cruise to Pavlof Harbor for a morning of hiking and kayaking.
Another great day! We started early, with a 6:30 a.m. wakeup and weather announcement so we knew what to wear--one of the most amazing things is how warm it is--58°F at the start of the day! No wonder the glaciers are melting so fast this summer. Our first event of the day was Zodiac adventuring in the sea off the terminal moraine of the LeConte Glacier. The last big advance of this glacier bulldozed a large pile of sediment into a mound that comes up to such shallow depth that it traps icebergs and bergy bits, chunks of ice that calve off the front of the glacier. The eroded surfaces and fantastical shapes of the LeConte icebergs make this a magical place. Not just for us apparently. We saw bald eagles here – including the fine bird in this photograph, a bald eagle that had settled on top of one of the LeConte icebergs. Blue ice with a verdant background of Sitka spruce and an eagle on top….only in Alaska.
After experiencing the beauty of LeConte Bay, we expected a short transit to Petersburg, with time spent talking about the tectonic evolution of SE Alaska. As it turned out, the orcas of Frederick Strait had other plans for us. When the Sea Bird’s bridge crew alerted us to two pods of orcas near the shore, we quickly abandoned the lounge – poor Rob (our Stanford faculty leader and geology expert who was in the middle of his first lecture). Our naturalists identified juvenile males and females in groups of four to six animals. We followed the magnificent orcas at a distance and were treated to close-up views of orca dorsal fins and the magical sounds of their breathing. Killer whales hunt and feed in SE Alaskan coastal waters and our best guess is these family units were heading south towards LeConte Bay to prey on seals and salmon. We stayed with the pods for the better part of an hour before cruising to Petersburg.
Shortly after noon, we docked at Petersburg, a small Alaskan town founded by a Norwegian fish canner in 1895. Today, Petersburg remains a prosperous center of salmon fishing and canning. During our afternoon “ashore” we split into different groups. Some flew over the local ice fields by float plane or landed on the LeConte Glacier by helicopter. Others went on hikes, choosing either interpretive nature walks along Petersburg Creek or an arduous climb up Petersburg Mountain. For others still, the Tonka fish processing facility was a highlight for some. This artesanal fish smokery specializes in hand processing of all five varieties of salmon. We savored their handiwork and learned something of the modern salmon trade.
Our group reconvened in the evening to recap the events of the day, before enjoying a very satisfying feast of Dungeness crab. Tonight we cruise to Pavlof Harbor for a morning of hiking and kayaking.
