This morning on National Geographic Sea Lion brought following winds and choppy seas as we sailed through Wrangell Narrows and headed for Petersburg, Alaska. A town with a rich Norwegian fishing history, Petersburg was established by Peter Bushman in the late 1800s. He viewed the rich fisheries that sustained the native people and the glacial icebergs from the nearby Le Conte Glacier as two abundant resources on which to build a thriving community. By packing fish on glacial ice, he could export it down to the lower 48, and thus, “the town that fish built” was born.
In the morning, we had a wonderful talk by Eric Guth on glaciology, giving us a greater understanding of the shaping of Southeast Alaska as we pulled into Petersburg Harbor. We enjoyed free time exploring the quaint town before gathering for guided activities, including a walk through the unique ecosystem of the muskeg, a bike ride around the island, a walk along the fishing dock, and a photo walk with our National Geographic expert.
Returning to our floating home, we enjoyed a Dungeness crab feast as we cast the lines and made our way north towards our location for tomorrow.
