Though civilizations are not the focus of a small ship Alaska expedition, many make an exception for Petersburg. This adorable fishing village is inaccessible for the larger ships and hence, has kept so much of its charm and authentic fishing roots. With a population of barely 3000, Petersburg still boasts 3 separate harbors and dozens of different types of fishing boats make these harbors a home base.
We were offered a menu of different choices to fill our time in Petersburg- hikes, zodiac rides, float plane, biking, and cultural activities. My husband and I tried to do it all, blending in a bit of free time to capture the hiking and cultural activities and opting for the guided zodiac ride and biking.
We started the day with a zodiac tour offered by one of our Nat Geo naturalists who also worked 14 seasons on the Alaska fishing boats. He took us between the boats in the harbor to talk about the fishing industry, pointing out the fish processing plant, various boat styles, the purpose of different types of tenders and the regulations governing permits, nets, and quotas. It was a fascinating behind the scenes look at the 'town that fish built'.
Following our zodiac tour, we headed into town on our own for a quick look around and some souvenir shopping. The Norwegian heritage is prevalent throughout the town, visible in building styles, a Sons of Norway meeting hall, and food selections. Though many of the local restaurants looked appealing, we opted to return to the ship for a delicious salmon wrap lunch.
Later in the afternoon, we headed out on a guided bicycle tour. The National Geographic Quest stores their bikes in a shipping container right at the harbor so we were able to disembark and walk right over to the bicycles. Petersburg is on an island so the only paved roads are within the town or looping around the island for hiking and camping destinations. We explored most of the town by bikes, winding through residential streets north to Sandy Beach, past the small airport and circling back to the port.
