Ice! Cold, blue, beautiful ice. As we arrived at LeConte Bay near Petersburg, the presence of floating ice indicated that we were in the proximity of a tidewater glacier. In the morning before breakfast, we launched Zodiacs to cruise through the icebergs. The clear blue color of many of the icebergs made them look like precious gemstones, and some even appeared to have been sculpted by the hand of an expert ice-carver. We were also able to get a close-up look at glacial ice when we landed on shore to admire large icebergs that had been stranded during the previous high tide. In the afternoon, National Geographic Quest repositioned to the fishing community of Petersburg, Alaska. We had multiple options today, including various hikes in the temperate rainforest and to a bog (muskeg), Zodiac cruises to observe fishing vessels in the harbor, flightseeing over the Stikine Icefield, and a bicycle tour through the backstreets of Petersburg. In addition, there was time to stroll into town to observe Alaskan life. After a traditional fresh crab dinner, the sun slowly set, highlighting the clouds in the west and the tall peaks to the east. All in all, it was a perfect ending to a magical Alaskan day.
7/23/2024
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National Geographic Quest
Petersburg
This morning National Geographic Quest arrived at the small fishing town and bustling harbor of Petersburg. Petersburg is among the top 20 fishing ports in the United States and walking and biking around the community we could appreciate the charm of the amazing homes along the waterfront. After breakfast we divided into our different groups based on our activities and explored the town by bicycle, walking to a muskeg bog, climbing Petersburg Mountain, or enjoying cultural tours with some of the locals as guides. Every activity was fun and educational. It felt like we were the only tourists in town, and we really got a sense for small town Alaska. After lunch the rain set in and some of us decided to relax on board while others put on rain gear and enjoyed a Zodiac tour around the harbor, walks, or a bike ride around town. Returning to the ship, we had an incredible presentation by a local resident about Tlingit culture before our recap and amazing Dungeness crab dinner that followed. It was another great day in Southeast Alaska.