We began our day anchored at Thomas Bay, where guests chose between hiking Cascade Creek or taking a Zodiac cruise along the shoreline. Hikers entered a forest dripping with rainwater, fragrant pink spruce cones, and hanging lichens. Zodiac adventurers got up close and personal with the rushing power of the creek as it met the sea, later skirting along walls covered with rockweed and colorful intertidal life.
Petersburg, Alaska was the site of our afternoon activities. As we transited toward town, field instructor Zoey Greenberg hosted an activity for five young Global Explorers during which they measured their wingspans and found birds that matched their size, including the greater snow goose, herring gull, and black-legged kittiwake. Petersburg options included a bike ride, a cultural tour, muskeg hikes, an ambitious hike to Raven’s Roost, and / or the option of exploring town independently. This was our first visit back into civilization since setting sail. There was, of course, a mad dash to a clothing store selling Ray Troll shirts, a quintessential fashion statement for Alaskan travelers and residents alike.
The day concluded with recap presentations, including a lively Ray Troll fashion show and a replay of the Pacific wren’s song — slowed down to 200 individual notes! Following a robust crab dinner, undersea specialist Tamsen Peeples delivered an evening presentation on what it’s like to grow up Alaskan. The day began and ended with rainfall, a true sign that we are traveling within the temperate rainforest: a lush, green, and special place.
