We awoke to another gorgeous day this morning to find that our Captain Billy O’Brian had navigated National Geographic Sea Bird well into the Le Conte fjord where we were surrounded by icebergs. Calm conditions and a few rays of sunshine made the views that much more spectacular. Following breakfast guests left for a cruise among the maze of icebergs in our expedition landing craft. Le Conte glacier is not only the southernmost tidewater glacier in North America, but it is also one of the world’s the fastest moving. Recent measurements show its flow at about 90 feet per day! That is not to say that the Le Conte is necessarily “advancing” as constant calving of ice from its terminus keeps it more or less in the same position. The number and size of icebergs, many as big as a house, gave good indication that this glacier is extremely active.
Then it was on north to the fishing village of Petersburg, among Alaska’s most important commercial fishing ports. Many guests opted for a scenic floatplane flight over the Le Conte glacier while others took a short hike to a pristine little muskeg area on Kupeanof Island to learn about the unique flora that that manages to make a living in such acidic wetland environments. All in all another very pleasant day in Southeast Alaska.
