It was a misty, dreary morning as we sailed through Frederick Sound. Bergy bits became more abundant as the National Geographic Sea Lion entered Le Conte Bay and we were happy to be greeted by a breaching humpback whale before breakfast. We anchored in Ideal Cove and bundled up to hike down the Three Lakes Trail- a windy plank walk trail through the beautiful Tongass National Forest. Some decided to go on a long trek to burn off some of the delicious meals we have been fed, while others enjoyed shorter hikes where they could take the time to photograph and appreciate the beauty of the towering trees, flowers, ferns, carnivorous plants, porcupines, birds, and muskeg vegetation.
The rain clouds moved in as we docked in the quaint town of Petersburg. However, the dreary weather wasn’t going to stop the enthusiastic guests from exploring this unique town-Petersburg is known for its Norwegian heritage and prosperous fishing industry. Though the population is just over 3,000, we were not short of activities. Guests were able to take dock walks with naturalists to learn about the different fishing techniques, boats, and visible marine life. A variety of boats including purse seiners, trollers, and gill netters filled nearly every spot along the dock-many boats were in the process of getting repaired and spiffy for the upcoming busy salmon season. The floating dock was lined with giant plumose anemones of orange and white, tube worms, and other invertebrates- it was a nice sneak peek of the underwater world! Some decided to take a walk through the muskeg bog on Kupreanof Island across the channel while others got a taste of culture by visiting local shops and coffee houses.
Many were happy to get out of the rain to attend a recap of the day’s activities and cocktail hour back aboard our warm, dry ship. And, of course, we couldn’t visit a fishing town without leaving with fresh seafood! We were in for a treat as we finished off our fun day with fresh Alaskan Dungeness crab-bon appétit! The evening winded down with a wonderful preview of the video chronicle. It was nice to reminisce about all of the incredible things we have done/encountered this week!
