This was a very special day for all of us onboard the National Geographic Sea Lion. One reason is that although life in the rain is the norm in Southeast Alaska and enjoyable in its own sort of way, it is still nice to have a day without it….and this was one of those days. The other reason was that we got to spend the entire day in Petersburg and partake of the annual Norwegian Mayfest festival in addition to our normal activities.
In the early morning hours, the National Geographic Sea Lion came alongside the city dock at Petersburg, a picturesque town of Norwegian ancestry that is primarily a working fishing community. Our morning was filled with a variety of offerings: bog walks, a photo walk, walks on the docks, and/or exploring around town on our own. After breakfast, most of us went across the Wrangle Channel in Zodiacs to Kupreanof Island for a delightful visit to a muskeg along a boardwalk provided by the Forest Service. Muskeg is the Algonquin Indian name for bogs, a unique and amazing community of plants that can tolerate a water table at the surface and water that is acidic and thus skimpy on nutrients. One of the most interesting plants is the sundew that deals with the low nutrient levels in the muskeg by feeding on unlucky insects that are drawn to its sweet, sticky tentacles. The dock walks were fascinating with information about all the various fishing boats and fishing methods as well as looks at the amazing intertidal animals clinging to the docks and dock pilings. The water reflections, along with the quaint nature of the town, gave our photographers ample beautiful and memorable targets for their shooting.
After lunch some of us went flightseeing and had a chance to see the snow and glacier covered landscapes of the coastal mountains that divide Alaska from British Columbia on this spectacularly clear day. Others rode bicycles on a 5-mile loop around town or visited the craft, information, and food booths set up for the festival all along Main Street. And at 4:00 p.m. we were all out on Main Street watching the festive parade with Viking raiders, dancing kids in Norwegian attire, the local high school band playing, the fire and police and rescue people in their vehicles, and the women of the fitness center exercising along the main drag. A wonderful, small-town parade! But the real topper came after the parade when dozens of citizens (and also two of our guests and some crew members) vied against other pairs to see who could toss a slimy herring the farthest without letting it slip out between their fingers or other body parts. Even the Norwegian Ambassador to the U.S. was tossing a herring great distances. The winners were throwing that fish about 30 yards. It was all great fun and enjoyed by all.
