Petersburg

Trip Start Aug 24, 2007
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Trip End Oct 08, 2007


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Flag of United States  , Alaska,
Sunday, September 2, 2007

This morning we woke to a peasoup fog as we edged our way north through the Wrangell Narrows to a picturesque community of Petersburg, a town known for its Norwegian roots and home to Alaska's largest halibut fleet.  Fishing is the backbone of the economy with more than $34 million in seafood processed (canned) annually.  We went ashore and once again watched dancing but this time based on Norwegian Culture.  We then went on a bus tour around the town.  We saw deer eating people's lawn and flowers.  We didn't see the town at its best, but what they called Sandy Beach would never compare with our sandy beaches.  The houses were well kept and picturesque with small, colourful gardens - a three bedroom house on the foreshore - US$350,000.
We were back on the ship at 1pm and set sail, only to stop again to see the orca.  We watched them for a little while but the Captain was eager to continue to Fredrick Sound where lots of currents met bringing a large concentration of krill and small schooling fish.  Then we saw the humpback whales.  They were in groups of three or four and would breach - in total we would have seen twenty or thirty.   The staff then decided to put out the "Zodiacs" so that we could get closer.  It was amazing.  Once we were on the water we could hear the whales breath and water spout and we were able to get quite close.   The water was like a mill pond and we were like little corks boobing about in this huge, cold, deep expanse of water with humpback whales.  An experience of a lifetime.
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