When one enters Petersburg, two things are quickly evident: the fishing industry that drives the small town’s economy and its Nordic heritage. It’s a community where art, nature, industry, and culture are seen together from almost any angle. Fishing boats line dock after dock in the harbor. Gulls congregate near the canneries and hover in flocks behind boats returning with their daily catch. In town, locals move about the main street where businesses are brightly colored with Nordic floral motifs lining their doors and windows. Large murals depicting the town’s fishing history dominate the sides of buildings. In every direction, forested land provides a backdrop for the views around town. It is a quiet place and provided a destination where we could slow down, wander through the town and harbor, and take in a bit of local Alaskan life.
The day was not without time spent in nature. On a nearby muskeg walk, we entered an ecosystem we have not yet seen on our voyage: low-lying berries, sparse trees, and peaty substrate. Encounters with orcas and Steller’s sea lions reminded us of the close proximity of people and nature in Alaska.
As nature inspired the art of Petersburg, so it inspired guest Diane Lang to pen the following after seeing orcas this morning:
Orcas of the straits and sounds
Travel where the food abounds.
Transients spend summers here;
Residents will stay the year.
They’re the ones who dine on fish.
Transients have a mammal wish.
And while they share one big endeavor,
Do they get together? Never!
