This morning we awoke in Frederick Sound to a beautiful day of sunshine and scattered clouds. We hopped into our expedition landing craft for a morning zipping around Le Conte Bay. Crossing the old glacial moraine of the Le Conte Glacier, we saw a smattering of bald eagles perched on rocks exposed by the low tide. The Le Conte Glacier originates in the Stikine ice field and flows 22 miles from its icy source to the sea, where it calves massive pieces of ice into the water. It has retreated ten miles from its moraine, exposing a deep fjord filled with large chunks of calved-off ice. We stayed at the entrance to the fjord to enjoy the impressive turquoise bergs glistening in sunlight and rolling as the salty water eroded their undersides. The variety of ice sizes and shapes delighted photographers, and a good time was had by all. A forest service cabin was visited on the shore and a mink was spotted running along the intertidal, looking both feisty and industrious. Many marbled murrelets peeped and dove around us, reminding us of the deep connections between their old growth nesting habitat and the sea.
Before lunch we were joined by Andy Szabo, director of the Alaska Whale Foundation. He shared a fantastic and energetic presentation on his research with humpback whales as we cruised toward Petersburg. After lunch guests stepped onto the dock to be greeted by the smell of fish and experience a variety of adventures. Those seeking a serious adventure joined our naturalist and wellness specialist on a 2,000 foot climb up Petersburg Mountain. Others joined the naturalists on a forest trail, which wound uphill to a beautiful muskeg. An eagle nest poised in the top of a tree hosted an adult and full-grown chick. Carnivorous sundews garnished the sides of the raised boardwalk, patiently waiting for unsuspecting insects to meet their demise in the plant’s digestive juices. Back at the harbor, guests strolled the dock with naturalist Paul, who shared his expertise in commercial fishing and regaled everyone with stories of sailing the high seas. The town of Petersburg was available for folks to explore, from its quaint Norwegian past to the characters lining the sidewalks.
While guests enjoyed the afternoon, the crew brought aboard a haul of locally caught, sustainably harvested Dungeness crab. A crab feast followed by dessert in the lounge and a presentation on the salmon of Alaska wrapped up the day.
