After a smooth night of traveling, the National Geographic Sea Lion anchored at the southeast side of Mitkoff Island at a place called Ideal Cove. We went ashore for hikes along a boardwalk through the lush temperate rainforest. Before the last hikers left the trailhead, there was a bit of drama: A Steller’s Jay swooped down and was chasing a mouse! The small rodent succeeded in evading the avian predator for the time being, hiding under a log. The handsome Steller’s jay is a significant bird for Alaska, named after the first European to step onto what is now Alaskan soil. Seeing this blue and black jay, Georg Steller recognized that he was in a different hemisphere.
Naturalists accompanied groups of guests up the trail at different paces. There were signs of moose, beaver and red squirrels. A red-breasted sap-sucker was observed retrieving sap from small holes it had drilled into a spruce tree. As it flew off, it was replaced by a rufous hummingbird, taking advantage of a nutritious dietary supplement. The forest displayed myriad shades of green and nurse trees were one of many examples of recycling in nature.
While in transit to the town of Petersburg, we came upon a breaching humpback whale. We paused to observe, marvel and snap some photographs. The animal was active, with surface antics until we had to depart for our afternoon commitments. It’s great to see a wild endangered species doing what it normally does in its natural environment.
The afternoon was spent in and around the fishing village of Petersburg. To learn about the fishing boats and the people who tend them, guests followed Tamsen and Caroline around the dock area. Those who wanted to practice using their various image capturing devices followed Emily and Larry around the picturesque town. I took a few people across the Wrangell Narrows to Kupreanof Island to visit a muskeg (peat bog), a wetland ecosystem characterized by sphagnum moss, plants from the heath family, shore pines and shallow pools of water. Two species of carnivorous sundew plants can be found here. Flightseers got an amazing perspective of the Le Conte Glacier and environs, and everyone had a chance to look around the friendly town.
Dinner was a treat of fresh and local Dungeness crab, accompanied by barbecued ribs, roasted potatoes, vegetables and coleslaw. It was quite a feast! Everyone convened in the lounge for dessert and a presentation by Tamsen about growing up in Juneau, Alaska.
