We spent the morning on the Stikine River, which has the distinction of being the fastest-flowing navigable river on the North American continent. While our nimble vessel can get to many places that larger ships can’t, the river is best explored by smaller jet boats. Because they don’t have propellers, these little boats are the perfect vessels for braving the swift waters and sand bars of the wild Stikine. Passing the occasional bald eagle, we made our way upstream to the face of Shakes Glacier. A spectacular finale to a beautiful boat ride!
After rendezvousing at the ship for lunch, we set out to see the town of Wrangell itself. Some of us attended a cultural presentation from the Tlingit people at Chief Shakes House, a beautiful reconstruction of a Tlingit longhouse. Afterwards, we visited Petroglyph Beach, which boasts over 40 indigenous petroglyphs on large boulders along the shore. While their exact meaning isn’t known, they were likely made by the Tlingit people eight thousand years ago.
Other guests spent time in Wrangell, and some went on a hike up Mount Dewey. The short but steep hike culminates in a beautiful view of the town below, with plenty of flora to enjoy on the way up!
We returned to the ship for our nightly cocktail hour and recaps from our naturalists, followed by another delicious dinner from our amazing team here onboard National Geographic Sea Bird. We can only hope the weather tomorrow is as perfect as it was today!
