Prismatic refraction graced the Alaskan evening sky as Sea Lion guests enjoyed fresh Dungeness crab for dinner. The view from the dining room surreally shifted in the low colorful sunset light. Hanging misty masses threaded waterways between forested broken islands. A supernumerary rainbow was mirrored off the silky waters of Frederick Sound. The sun broke in and out of fog banks, spotlighting, dispersing light along thin mist streamers over the water. Scintillations and spiked balls of light formed as the sun masked and flashed behind clouds, then set and crepuscular rays arose.

Earlier, when we returned by Zodiac from hikes through muskeg and rainforest, we watched crewmembers handling live crabs on the Sea Lion's fantail. Our galley staff obtained our crab feast main course in Petersburg while guests hiked, walked about town, and took flightseeing trips by float plane over nearby glaciers and fjords.

The small bustling fishing community of Petersburg was originally situated in its location at the northern end of Mitkof Island because of the proximity to Le Conte Glacier and its massive icebergs, which were used to keep fish fresh. This morning we explored a mosaic of brilliant blue melting icebergs in Le Conte Bay on Zodiac tours. We watched huge fluted icebergs come to life as they were lifted off their grounding in shallow water with the incoming spring tide. Icebergs rolled over and rode up against each other in the swirling currents.

After a full day of icebergs, hikes, crabs, rainbows and sunsets, we explored into the night, traversing haunted Thomas Bay and by spotlight followed the illuminated eyes of a river otter, a mystical being to the native Tlingits.