Sailing south through Wrangell Narrows brought us to the small fishing town of Petersburg, Alaska. The town was first established in the 1890s when a Norwegian entrepreneur named Peter Bushman came to the area seeing then the potential its location. Petersburg sits near excellent fishing grounds as well as the Le Conte glacier, one whose many icebergs were once used to pack the fish on to send them down to the lower 48 states before ship trade. After establishing a cannery and saltery on Mitkof Island the area quickly became settled, earning the title “The town that fish built.” During our visit we were able to walk the fishing docks, venture across the narrows to the Kupreanof Island to walk through the muskeg and explore the town’s local shops on foot and through photography.
9/3/2022
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National Geographic Quest
Ushk Bay and Peril Strait
National Geographic Quest arose amidst light clouds within the protected waters of Ushk Bay. This area is known for a salmon stream and yields plenty of opportunity for kayaking and exploring the vast meadows of its inner waterways. On this day’s occasion, guests were able to hike and paddle their way along the coast of Ushk Bay and witness firsthand the life cycle of Pacific salmon making their way upstream. As we transited through Peril Strait, we were lucky to see humpback whales. These immense mammals were “lunge feeding” very near our ship. Being able to witness this event was unique for guests and staff. Lunge feeding is process through which individual whales push their gaping mouths through the surface and collect any fish or planktonic invertebrates in the process. Witnessing this behavior was truly a remarkable experience for all. We will cherish this moment for a lifetime.