Petersburg & Snow Passage
Now halfway into our adventure, we arrived early to Mitkof Island and the small but delightful town of Petersburg, “Alaska’s little Norway.” The local guide boasts of 56 things to do in and around the area, and while we accomplished a few listed, we also added some of our own to the days adventures. Groups spun off in many directions from taking a float plane over LeCont glacier to walking through a nearby bog just across the harbor, or touring the town on foot or bicycle.
Before coming into the bog, the approach is first a wall of dark green forest that looks a bit foreboding from the outside. Once inside, it felt more like a storybook where you might imagine gnomes and fairies living in the hallowed out decaying trees and logs and dancing on carpets of lush green mosses, ferns, and fungi of every size and color.. Wild blueberry, salmon and bunchberries were in abundance amongst the Sitka spruce and hemlock trees. Continuing along the boardwalk offered many macro photo opportunities while the naturalists shared the mysteries of life in the muskeg.
After lunch we maneuvered through the famous Wrangell Narrows as the rain gave way to naps, photo sharing and editing, as well as chair massages in the lounge. Marine mammal sightings late afternoon drew us out as Dall’s porpoises and harbor seals were the warm-up act for an amazing show that followed thereafter. A group of six humpback whales displaying cooperative feeding kept all eyes focused and cameras clicking right up to our own dinner. The movement of the gulls and sound of the trumpeter whale via the lowered hydrophone gave us feedback as to where the next bubble netting might occur, as we moved back and forth on the bow! Spectacular viewing was also had in the lounge, as this group did not seem shy about feeding close to the Sea Bird. What a special event we witnessed, and what a grand finale to the day and most likely our final time seeing these whales, as we make our way south toward Canada.
Now halfway into our adventure, we arrived early to Mitkof Island and the small but delightful town of Petersburg, “Alaska’s little Norway.” The local guide boasts of 56 things to do in and around the area, and while we accomplished a few listed, we also added some of our own to the days adventures. Groups spun off in many directions from taking a float plane over LeCont glacier to walking through a nearby bog just across the harbor, or touring the town on foot or bicycle.
Before coming into the bog, the approach is first a wall of dark green forest that looks a bit foreboding from the outside. Once inside, it felt more like a storybook where you might imagine gnomes and fairies living in the hallowed out decaying trees and logs and dancing on carpets of lush green mosses, ferns, and fungi of every size and color.. Wild blueberry, salmon and bunchberries were in abundance amongst the Sitka spruce and hemlock trees. Continuing along the boardwalk offered many macro photo opportunities while the naturalists shared the mysteries of life in the muskeg.
After lunch we maneuvered through the famous Wrangell Narrows as the rain gave way to naps, photo sharing and editing, as well as chair massages in the lounge. Marine mammal sightings late afternoon drew us out as Dall’s porpoises and harbor seals were the warm-up act for an amazing show that followed thereafter. A group of six humpback whales displaying cooperative feeding kept all eyes focused and cameras clicking right up to our own dinner. The movement of the gulls and sound of the trumpeter whale via the lowered hydrophone gave us feedback as to where the next bubble netting might occur, as we moved back and forth on the bow! Spectacular viewing was also had in the lounge, as this group did not seem shy about feeding close to the Sea Bird. What a special event we witnessed, and what a grand finale to the day and most likely our final time seeing these whales, as we make our way south toward Canada.
