Le Conte Bay, Petersburg
On a walk today, one guest pointed out a dwarf dogwood (usually a four-leaved plant) that had six leaves. Could it be an Alaskan version of a four-leaved clover? We decided that she must be responsible for the great weather that we’ve had this week.
We woke this morning just outside of Le Conte Bay, glaciers studded along the bar, with high, scalloped clouds showing gaps of blue—a perfect morning for touring bergs.
After breakfast, we left the Sea Bird to set out in Zodiacs and explore the icebergs, bergy bits, and smaller ice in Le Conte Bay; all were calved from the face of the rapid-flowing Le Conte glacier, whose face was up the bay and around the corner. Of course we saw shapes and shades in the ice that are at once familiar and utterly unique. There were pointy, craggy bergs and bergs full of grit; there were low flat bergs that harbor seals were using as a resting platform and tiny bits of ice almost invisible until we were close upon them. Among them all, gulls, murrlets, murres, and other birds swam and flew, many taking advantage of the rich waters.
After our morning exploration, we headed across Frederick Sound to Mitkof Island and the town of Petersberg. There, the sucker holes of the morning opened to blue sky, and we variously poked through town, flew over the fjords and glaciers of the area, and walked the on Kupreanof Island to a lovely Alaskan muskeg.
In addition to a wealth of exploration, we were treated today to the stories of people who have made this area their home. Becky Knight, a woman who fished with her family in the waters around Petersburg for many years, shared her experiences of life in a Southeast Alaskan fishing town. After stories of fresh-hauled catch, how could we help but enjoy our meal of fresh Dungeness crab? Then, after dinner, Dr. Fred Sharp of the Alaska Whale Foundation shared his research and knowledge of humpback whales. All in all, it was a day that allowed us to understand more fully and deeply the landscapes and lives that make Southeast Alaska vibrant, varied, and a place worthy of both our awe and attention.
On a walk today, one guest pointed out a dwarf dogwood (usually a four-leaved plant) that had six leaves. Could it be an Alaskan version of a four-leaved clover? We decided that she must be responsible for the great weather that we’ve had this week.
We woke this morning just outside of Le Conte Bay, glaciers studded along the bar, with high, scalloped clouds showing gaps of blue—a perfect morning for touring bergs.
After breakfast, we left the Sea Bird to set out in Zodiacs and explore the icebergs, bergy bits, and smaller ice in Le Conte Bay; all were calved from the face of the rapid-flowing Le Conte glacier, whose face was up the bay and around the corner. Of course we saw shapes and shades in the ice that are at once familiar and utterly unique. There were pointy, craggy bergs and bergs full of grit; there were low flat bergs that harbor seals were using as a resting platform and tiny bits of ice almost invisible until we were close upon them. Among them all, gulls, murrlets, murres, and other birds swam and flew, many taking advantage of the rich waters.
After our morning exploration, we headed across Frederick Sound to Mitkof Island and the town of Petersberg. There, the sucker holes of the morning opened to blue sky, and we variously poked through town, flew over the fjords and glaciers of the area, and walked the on Kupreanof Island to a lovely Alaskan muskeg.
In addition to a wealth of exploration, we were treated today to the stories of people who have made this area their home. Becky Knight, a woman who fished with her family in the waters around Petersburg for many years, shared her experiences of life in a Southeast Alaskan fishing town. After stories of fresh-hauled catch, how could we help but enjoy our meal of fresh Dungeness crab? Then, after dinner, Dr. Fred Sharp of the Alaska Whale Foundation shared his research and knowledge of humpback whales. All in all, it was a day that allowed us to understand more fully and deeply the landscapes and lives that make Southeast Alaska vibrant, varied, and a place worthy of both our awe and attention.
