The waters were like glass as dawn broke over Petersburg this morning and low hanging clouds cloaked the town in silence. A small group of photographers departed National Geographic Sea Lion in search of light, color, pattern and reflection among the fleet of fishing boats in this small fishing village’s harbor. Orange floats, green lines and hook-lined, rope-filled pails punctuate the boat decks with color and texture, giving each a personality as unique as the stories many of them have to tell of days at sea harvesting local seafood from nearby waters. As one looks through the mirror reflections of boat hulls, the underwater community that calls this dock home becomes visible, most notably the giant plumose anemones.
Our morning of exploring the area was comprised of several focused walks where we became more familiar with Petersburg and the surrounding area. Naturalists led groups through a nearby muskeg. Although there are many acres of muskeg in Southeast Alaska, this was our only opportunity to visit the distinctive habitat this week. In town, we walked along the dock learning about fisheries in Alaska and the life cycles of different salmon in the area. In addition to being Alaska’s fishing center, Petersburg is also known as Little Norway, and that heritage is evident in details throughout town. Shoppers, photographers and wanderers walked the streets much of the morning, enjoying quaint boardwalks, wooden buildings, murals, and totem poles.
As morning gave way to afternoon, temperatures rose and clouds faded into a vast blue sky above. The ship slowly navigated through the scenic Wrangell Narrows with many of us enjoying the view from the bow, relishing the feeling of the sun on our faces while recalling moments from the relaxing day with our traveling companions.
