Frederick Sound/Petersburg
Way before breakfast the whales appeared off our bow, delighting the early risers who climbed out of their beds to view the show. A mother humpback and her calf were feeding in Frederick Sound as the sun was peeking up over the horizon to the east. The calf, not content with food alone, put on a spectacular show for us, breaching multiple times. After breakfast, the show continued with a pod of at least 20-30 whales feeding all around us. We watched the whales for about an hour exhibiting a variety of whale behaviors, including pectoral slapping, fluke slamming, and breaching.
Reluctantly we left the whales and made our way to Petersburg, a fishing community with a Norwegian flavor. Several adventures awaited us there and we quickly dispersed to take advantage of all that it had to offer.
Some took a hike to a bog on the Petersburg Creek trail. Among other inhabitants of the muskeg were beautiful little plants called sundews that had the ingenious habit of trapping and consuming insects like a Venus flytrap. There were also two look-alike plants—one can be brewed into a very soothing tea. Brewing the other creates a potent neurotoxin. The message is that you need to be sure of your plant ID in the bog.
Others decided to take a seaplane for a spectacular view of the La Conte Glacier from above. And for everyone there was time to do a little sightseeing in one of the last authentic fishing towns in Southeast Alaska.
Before dinner Dr. Fred Sharpe gave us an illustrated slide show about his research on Humpback whales with the Alaska Whale Foundation. This was followed by a feast of fresh local crab that will serve as a standard of comparison for any future shellfish meal. Ending another great day in Alaska!
Way before breakfast the whales appeared off our bow, delighting the early risers who climbed out of their beds to view the show. A mother humpback and her calf were feeding in Frederick Sound as the sun was peeking up over the horizon to the east. The calf, not content with food alone, put on a spectacular show for us, breaching multiple times. After breakfast, the show continued with a pod of at least 20-30 whales feeding all around us. We watched the whales for about an hour exhibiting a variety of whale behaviors, including pectoral slapping, fluke slamming, and breaching.
Reluctantly we left the whales and made our way to Petersburg, a fishing community with a Norwegian flavor. Several adventures awaited us there and we quickly dispersed to take advantage of all that it had to offer.
Some took a hike to a bog on the Petersburg Creek trail. Among other inhabitants of the muskeg were beautiful little plants called sundews that had the ingenious habit of trapping and consuming insects like a Venus flytrap. There were also two look-alike plants—one can be brewed into a very soothing tea. Brewing the other creates a potent neurotoxin. The message is that you need to be sure of your plant ID in the bog.
Others decided to take a seaplane for a spectacular view of the La Conte Glacier from above. And for everyone there was time to do a little sightseeing in one of the last authentic fishing towns in Southeast Alaska.
Before dinner Dr. Fred Sharpe gave us an illustrated slide show about his research on Humpback whales with the Alaska Whale Foundation. This was followed by a feast of fresh local crab that will serve as a standard of comparison for any future shellfish meal. Ending another great day in Alaska!
