New to the Alaskan landscape for the 2014 season, National Geographic Sea Lion spent the morning journeying through the mist in search of charismatic mega fauna. With delicate maneuvers through the Wrangell Narrows, we navigated the buoys and the Steller sea lions that crowded them to find our way into the fishing town of Petersburg.
With the docks crowded with fisherman preparing for the upcoming season, guests were cut loose to explore the variety of options available to them. Some chose to ford across the narrows to an adjacent island, taking part in a walk amidst the muskeg. Created by valleys collecting rain water, the bog environment produces a unique, anaerobic landscape resulting in stunted trees and a host of plant life specific to such regions. Chief among them is the insectivorous plant, the round-leafed sundew, which entices its prey with sweet, lustrous droplets that prove deadly to all that approach it.
Some guests took to the air in order to find what a longer view of the mountains and glaciers looked like from above. Others chose to wheel about the town on the bicycles provided, discovering the intricacies of a small fishing community. Yet another option was to walk amongst the boats that lined the docks, hearing about the different styles of fishing and the stories that accompanied them. All in all, a true portrait of the Alaskan lifestyle and the people who choose to call it home.
