At Signal Hill in St. John’s on a sunny Tuesday afternoon, a continuous flow of individuals strolled along a rugged cliff, marveling at the sight below. Cheers erupted, and phones emerged to capture the spectacle — an iceberg gracefully adrift in the ocean, having broken away from a Greenland glacier and carried by the Labrador current on a clear spring day.
This year marks a significant period for icebergs in Newfoundland and Labrador, drawing tourists and locals to various shores across the province to greet these ancient visitors. Susan Davis, a visitor from Baltimore, expressed her delight, remarking on the intense and splendid colors of the scene. She compared it to her experiences in Alaska, noting that this was a first for her.
The seasonal iceberg procession is a distinctive feature of Newfoundland and Labrador, with nearly double the average number of icebergs this year. Satellite data as of Wednesday afternoon revealed close to 520 icebergs off the east coast of Newfoundland and southern Labrador, shared George Karaganis, a senior meteorologist with the Canadian Ice Service. Last year, at the same time, there were approximately 426 icebergs, whereas the average from 2002 to 2021 stood at around 274.
The conditions for a successful iceberg season span multiple years, commencing in Greenland where glaciers, over 10,000 years old, begin calving. These ice fragments can journey for up to three years before arriving in Newfoundland and Labrador, propelled by the Labrador current past Baffin Island and through the Labrador Sea. Subsequently, with strong northeast spring winds, they are pushed closer to the Newfoundland and Labrador shores for public viewing.
Although this year saw favorable conditions, experts predict a decline in iceberg numbers due to climate change. Sea ice acts as a protective shield, preventing icebergs from melting before reaching Newfoundland and Labrador. However, with expectations of diminishing sea ice concentrations amidst rising water temperatures, this safeguard is likely to diminish, as highlighted by Pradeep Bobby, who heads the Earth observation team at C-CORE in St. John’s.
In Twillingate, N.L., Pat Bridger woke up on Tuesday to the sight of an iceberg floating outside her sewing room window. By Wednesday morning, the count had risen to two. Twillingate, renowned as the iceberg capital of the world, experiences a thriving iceberg tourism season. Bridger, accustomed to such sightings, rushed to photograph the icebergs, hoping to capture glimmers of gold and silver in the sunlight.
St. John’s-based photographer Alick Tsui, speaking from the trails around Signal Hill via video, was filled with joy as he observed an eagle’s nest, awaiting the hatching of an egg, while monitoring two icebergs off the coast. Tsui had recently embarked on a boat tour to have a closer look at one of the icebergs and marveled at the varying colors and sparkles reflected by the sun on the ice.
Even the interior of an iceberg fascinated Davis, who had sampled a piece scooped up by her tour guide during a boat excursion. She found the ice to be much harder than anticipated, with delicate ice crystals inside, vastly different from the solid structure of a typical ice cube. Astonished, she revealed that the ice she had tasted was estimated to be 15,000 years old, an incredible realization.
Overall, this year’s abundance of icebergs has brought immense joy and wonder to residents and visitors alike in Newfoundland and Labrador, underscoring the unique and captivating nature of these ancient natural wonders.