Seeing the ice fields from a few thousand feet high distracted me from worrying that the little single engine pontoon plane would crash. It was worth the extra $200 to get the aerial perspective – these glaciers are freakin’ huge.
From the air, we saw vast snow fields producing the magnificent glaciers which like frozen rivers, powerfully carve out valleys, smooth over peaks, and calf icebergs which melt in the inlets and turn the water green. Climate change, which is real by the way, is most evident here in Southeast Alaska when you learn how rapidly the ice is retreating.
Just another day of thrills as we tour Southeast Alaska’s Inland Passage on the National Geographic Sea Lion.
This afternoon, we stopped in the town of Petersburg, population 3,000, for a bit of shore leave. While my sister Sue and I opted to take the flight tour over the glaciers, others leisurely explored the town and admired the fishing boats docked nearby. It’s amazing how there is no way to drive out of these little towns, including Juneau, so you have to either fly, boat, or ferry to get away.
This might be a good time to describe the ship. It is Calypso-sized (of Jaques Cousteau fame) with outdoor decks in the front and the back. Clyde and I are in a little cabin, the size of a small dorm room with twin beds and a toilet-shower combination.
We spend a lot of our downtime hanging out in the lounge which consists of tables and chairs, a bar, and coffee and tea all day. The lounge is also where we hear lectures. Before lunch, one of the experienced naturalists taught us all about bears (there are only three species of bear in North America: black, brown, and polar). Late in the afternoon, a local fisherwoman told us about the fishing industries including the seasonal nature of the work, and how invested these locals are in making sure the stock remains sustainable. Much learning was had by all.
The dining room, on the same level as the lounge, is where we take our meals. And the food is wonderful. Dinner always features options of seafood, beef, or vegetarian. Tonight we ate crabs which were caught near Petersburg just hours before. So good!
As of this writing, a general announcement has been made. There are humpback whales off the bow. Ho hum, whales again …
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