Whale breath may be the most exhilarating sound in the world. For many guests, the early wakeup call aboard National Geographic Sea Bird this morning was the loud whooshing exhalation of a whale! Alongside the ship, two humpback whales were resting, breathing, and occasionally diving and showing their beautiful flukes to our cadre of photographers. Their nearness and obvious indifference to our presence was a testament to the careful maneuvering of our ship’s navigation team.
In nearby LeConte Bay, art deco ice reminiscent of Lalique’s art glass drew us out into the expedition landing craft for a stunning sculpture tour around blue icebergs grounded on terminal moraine. Light dancing through interior air bubbles absorbs the red part of the spectrum and our eyes see blue, azure, turquoise, sapphire, and cerulean. Draped in low cloud, the steep fjord walls covered with dark spruce trees added drama to the scene. Some of us landed in the intertidal zone and explored the icy bits on foot as well.
Petersburg or Alaska’s “Little Norway” offered an afternoon of varied exploration—whether by bike, a hike through muskeg, on foot, enjoying this friendly fishing town with or without cameras—on the dock and under the dock, there are enough interesting boats, plants, people, and anemones to keep us entertained and photographing for days.
