Here There Be Icebergs!

Hi Blog!

On Saturday, June 23, 2018, we had reservations on the Northern Discovery out of St. Anthony Harbour. We were hoping to get up close and personal with some of the icebergs in the area. As soon as we cleared Fishing Point, we encountered our first berg. He’d been here a couple weeks just marooned on the rocks below the lighthouse. There’s not much left of him now. Just an icy lump next to shore.

However, this berg is still sitting loud and proud in Fish Point Cove. Skipper Terry maneuvered the boat nice and close so we could get a better look.

The first mate Steve explained that this berg recently rolled over. We were actually looking at the bottom. You can tell when a berg has rolled because everything topside is smooth.

The next berg we encountered reminded us of a Viking Ship

As we worked our way from cove to cove, we sailed right next to the cliff wall. The water next to the cliff is over 80 feet deep. We spooked a trio of cormorants who took flight as we approached.

The next berg we encountered had a deep blue line running through it. As the glacier flows toward the sea it can crack. Those cracks fill with melt water and refreeze. The ice in the crack is sold and refracts light in the blue spectrum. The rest of the iceberg is made of compressed snow which contains air bubbles which gives the ice a very white look.

Here’s a close up of the blue ice line.

When icebergs come too close to shore, they can become grounded or drydocked. The ocean waves slowly erode the ice, leaving two separate sides which will eventually break apart. The process can take a few days to a few weeks depending on the size of the berg. Below you can see where the sea is slowly nibbling away at the center of the iceberg.

We stopped to peer into this sea cave. During cod fishing season, local fisherman would come out in their small open air dory boat and jig for cod. If a storm approached, they would seek shelter in caves like this one. The water inside the cave is over 65 feet deep. The tour boats once went inside until a large section of the cave roof fell and almost wrecked a boat. Thus, no more sea cave tours.

Skipper Terry said he was saving the best for last. He did not disappoint.

Icebergs come in many, many shapes and sizes. There are six commonly used terms to describe the shape of an iceberg.

Tabular – flat topped and spread out horizontally
Blocky – flat-topped with steep verticle sides
Wedged – steep verticle on one end and sloping on the other
Domed – rounded and smooth topped
Pinnacle – one or more spires or pyramid-like peaks
Drydocked – eroded with a U-shaped slot near water level, giving it twin columns that reach upward

This berg is a great example of a pinnacle berg.

We also learned that icebergs can  be categorized by size.

Growler – any berg under 3 feet high by 16 feet long
Bergey Bits – 3 to 13 feet high by 15 to 46 feet long
Small Berg – 14 to 50 feet high by 47 to 200 feet long
Medium Berg – 51 to 150 feet high by 201 to 400 feet long
Large Berg – 151 to 240 feet high by 401 to 670 feet long
Very Large Berg – over 240 feet high and over 670 feet long (think oiler tanker)

This is just a Medium berg.

Bye, bye berg! Everyone takes one last photo as we head back to port.

We were surprised how easy it was to drive from cove to cove and see icebergs. However, nothing can compare to being right next to the iceberg and hearing it groan and crack. You feel the cold radiating from the massive block of ice. When the sun shines directly on the white ice, it is almost blinding. As the ice melts, small rivulets of water trickle off the iceberg, giving it the appearance of sweating. You can’t appreciate how big these bergs are until you are bobbing up and down next to them!