Petersburg, Le Conte Bay
We awoke at the mouth of Le Conte Bay with ice bergs all around us. A short distance up the bay we lowered Zodiacs and kayaks and began to explore. The weather was damp and chilly, and bergs, emerging from the fog, had a certain air of dreaminess. And what forms we found! The ice appeared as chunky drifts of snow, piled by the road plough, or as waves caught at the moment of breaking. We imagined crystalline ramparts, swans on the wing, and stealthy submarines. The Le Conte glacier, in catastrophic retreat, calves big bergs from its tender belly. These bergs have been squeezed of all cracks or air bubbles, so they have a deep sapphire glow. Though atmospheric conditions had a certain Pleistocene tang, all were pleased to wander among Le Conte’s endlessly variable bergs.
While underway toward Petersburg, we were joined by Sean Hanser, of the Alaska Whale Foundation. He spoke about humpback whales, the Foundation’s work in research and conservation, and about his own interest in bioacoustics.
Once at Petersburg, most walked into town. Having seen Juneau at its cruise ship-filled extreme, it was interesting to see a “real” Southeast town, focused on fishing rather than tourism. Many went to the bookstore, or Petersburg’s highlight, the hardware store! Some went off to explore a nearby muskeg or bog. Muskeg resembles a parkland of natural bonsais, and is filled with wacky plants prospering in a caustic environment. Vegetation was fine, but better were the birds. Nearby jays and sapsuckers brought splashes of cerulean and crimson to the trail. Best of all was the weather, as spots of blue grew into a fairly sunny sky. Later in the afternoon, many walked the docks with naturalists, looking at the different types of fishing boats based in Petersburg
As evening approached, we turned south into Wrangell Narrows. This slender waterway is famed for its red and green navigational lights, so numerous that the channel is nicknamed “Christmas-tree Lane”. The nearby navigational markers, island-studded shoreline, and soaring topography were particularly beautiful, illuminated by rich low-angle sunlight.
Lastly, we adjourned to the dining room to feast on Dungeness crab. This tasty food, brought to us by nature and by hard working human hands, was a fitting end to a day filled with natural and cultural history.
We awoke at the mouth of Le Conte Bay with ice bergs all around us. A short distance up the bay we lowered Zodiacs and kayaks and began to explore. The weather was damp and chilly, and bergs, emerging from the fog, had a certain air of dreaminess. And what forms we found! The ice appeared as chunky drifts of snow, piled by the road plough, or as waves caught at the moment of breaking. We imagined crystalline ramparts, swans on the wing, and stealthy submarines. The Le Conte glacier, in catastrophic retreat, calves big bergs from its tender belly. These bergs have been squeezed of all cracks or air bubbles, so they have a deep sapphire glow. Though atmospheric conditions had a certain Pleistocene tang, all were pleased to wander among Le Conte’s endlessly variable bergs.
While underway toward Petersburg, we were joined by Sean Hanser, of the Alaska Whale Foundation. He spoke about humpback whales, the Foundation’s work in research and conservation, and about his own interest in bioacoustics.
Once at Petersburg, most walked into town. Having seen Juneau at its cruise ship-filled extreme, it was interesting to see a “real” Southeast town, focused on fishing rather than tourism. Many went to the bookstore, or Petersburg’s highlight, the hardware store! Some went off to explore a nearby muskeg or bog. Muskeg resembles a parkland of natural bonsais, and is filled with wacky plants prospering in a caustic environment. Vegetation was fine, but better were the birds. Nearby jays and sapsuckers brought splashes of cerulean and crimson to the trail. Best of all was the weather, as spots of blue grew into a fairly sunny sky. Later in the afternoon, many walked the docks with naturalists, looking at the different types of fishing boats based in Petersburg
As evening approached, we turned south into Wrangell Narrows. This slender waterway is famed for its red and green navigational lights, so numerous that the channel is nicknamed “Christmas-tree Lane”. The nearby navigational markers, island-studded shoreline, and soaring topography were particularly beautiful, illuminated by rich low-angle sunlight.
Lastly, we adjourned to the dining room to feast on Dungeness crab. This tasty food, brought to us by nature and by hard working human hands, was a fitting end to a day filled with natural and cultural history.
