At the peak of Signal Hill in St. John’s on a sunny Tuesday afternoon, a constant flow of individuals strolled along a rugged cliff, marveling at the sight. Some expressed excitement, while others whipped out their smartphones to immortalize the moment – a surge of wonder as an iceberg drifted in the sea below, broken off from a glacier in Greenland and delivered by the Labrador current on a clear spring day.
This year is proving to be exceptional for icebergs in Newfoundland and Labrador, drawing tourists and locals alike to various coastlines in the province to witness these ancient visitors. “It’s simply delightful. It’s incredibly beautiful. The colors are vivid and marvelous,” remarked Susan Davis, a visitor from Baltimore in awe of the spectacle. “I’ve visited Alaska and witnessed glaciers calving, but this is a first for me.”
The annual iceberg procession is predominantly a spectacle in Newfoundland and Labrador, and this year has seen nearly double the usual number of icebergs. According to George Karaganis, a senior meteorologist with the Canadian Ice Service, satellite data as of Wednesday revealed close to 520 icebergs off the east coast of Newfoundland and southern Labrador. Last year at this time, there were approximately 426 icebergs, compared to an average of around 274 from 2002 to 2021.
The ideal iceberg season conditions span several years, commencing in Greenland where glaciers over 10,000 years old begin calving. These ice fragments can journey for up to three years before reaching Newfoundland and Labrador, propelled by the Labrador current past Baffin Island and through the Labrador Sea. If spring winds blow strongly from the northeast, they get pushed closer to the shores of Newfoundland and Labrador, offering people a chance to witness them.
This year, all the factors aligned perfectly. However, experts anticipate a decline in the number of icebergs as the climate evolves. Pradeep Bobby, who heads the Earth observation team at C-CORE in St. John’s, explained that sea ice acts as a shield, preventing icebergs from melting before they reach Newfoundland and Labrador. Yet, with sea ice concentrations projected to decrease due to warming waters, the number of icebergs is expected to dwindle.
Pat Bridger woke up on Tuesday to spot an iceberg floating outside her sewing room window in Twillingate, N.L. The following day, she was greeted by two icebergs. Twillingate boasts a thriving iceberg tourism season, claiming the title of the iceberg capital of the world. While Bridger is accustomed to these sightings, they remain special, prompting her to rush out to capture images from various angles, hoping to catch glimmers of gold and silver in the sunlight.
Bridger revels in the company of the onlookers, even if they are right at her doorstep. “You’ll see all these people, and they’re so excited, especially the people that haven’t seen one before,” Bridger shared in an interview. “They’re so chatty, and I just absolutely love it.”
Photographer Alick Tsui, based in St. John’s, exuded joy as he spoke to The Canadian Press via video from the trails surrounding Signal Hill on Wednesday afternoon. While keeping an eye on an eagle’s nest about to hatch, he marveled at the sight of two icebergs just off the coast. The previous day, he had embarked on a tour boat to get an up-close view of one of the icebergs.
“You can observe the color, sometimes blue, sometimes green. These nuances are not visible from land,” Tsui remarked enthusiastically. “Sometimes, you can see sparkles from the sun, a hint of rainbow hues when the water meets the ice.”
Davis shared that the interior of an iceberg holds its own unique charm. Having also been on a tour boat, her guide distributed iceberg fragments scooped up from the water for everyone to examine. Davis bit into one of the pieces, noting how much harder it was than expected. Inside, delicate ice crystals awaited, vastly different from the solid surface of a typical ice cube.
“It was 15,000 years old,” Davis marveled. “That’s astonishing, it’s incredible. I was consuming a piece of ice that had survived for 15,000 years!”