By boat, Wrangell is only half a day away from Petersburg. By Alaska Airlines jet, the towns are minutes apart. But the 50-foot M/V Delphinus took almost eight days to make the journey. We did it the fun way, and in the process sampled some of the best of Alaska. We had a fun group of eight passengers, a great cook, fine naturalist, the ever-talented Captain Ronn Patterson, and great weather. Life just doesn't get any better than this.
We started our trip with a side trip via jet boat from Wrangell up the shallow waters of the Stikine River to Shakes Glacier. Then in the early afternoon we headed south, anchoring at Berg Bay. The next day we photographed bears all day at Anan Creek. Then it was off through Rocky Strait and the Keku Islands (pictured here). The following day we chased orcas as they in turn chased and ate Dall porpoises. We then made for Warm Springs Bay and overnighted here. The next day, after photographing some commercial fishing boats hauling in salmon, we spent the rest of the day until dark photographing humpback whales as they sounded, spouted and did their amazing group bubble net feeding. From there, it was north to Pack Creek, where the bears hid from the blazing sun instead of posing for our cameras. And then finally, we made our way to Petersburg and then reluctantly returned home. Here are a few photos picturing these highlights:
