Ideal Cove and Petersburg
We started the day with bright, blue skies and big, wide smiles. The mucky, mussel covered shore of Ideal Cove soon gave way to a netted boardwalk through a magical forest. The sounds of birds and a river hugging the trail replaced the bustle of preparation aboard the ship. We hiked along yellow lily edged ponds with bald eagles in the distant sky.
Back aboard the National Geographic Sea Bird a small pod of transient killer whales came close to take a peek as our pre-teen guests tried their hand at Zodiac driving. The roar of a float plane came and went from LeConte Glacier, offering an amazing, aerial perspective of this massive river of ice. The day already seemed full as we headed in for a well deserved lunch.
We made our way though Fredrick Sound, and arrived at the small fishing town of Petersburg just after lunch. Here, we had an opportunity to explore ‘local life’ both in the town and on a ‘dock walk’ of the local fishing vessels. Some gained a broader view of the area as they bicycled up the loop trail above the town, and were rewarded with stunning views. Others visited the muskegs of Kupreanof Island just across Wrangell Narrows for an interpretive hike.
There was no recap this evening as we were visited once again by Killer Whales on our way out of the harbor. Three of these amazingly, graceful creatures accompanied us as the sun lowered in the sky. It was hard to tell if the small crowds gathered on shore were looking at the whales or at our vessel. Both were surely a sight to see.
