ST ANTHONY, NL – For a while people were getting worried about no icebergs showing up on the island this year. Many tourists were already in the St Anthony area with all assortment of camper vans and motor homes in May waiting. With many more rushing to the island from Canada and the USA once word spread THEY were here.
Icebergs are fickle things. Subject to the currents of the Labrador Sea and prevailing winds in the North Atlantic. Both of which are never predictable from year to year. This is why they are a threat to shipping, think Titanic, and fishermen who will often lose nets and lobster pots when icebergs get close to shore.
The icebergs begin their journey in Greenland. Breaking off of glaciers as they meet the ocean. Finding the current flowing south out of the arctic they travel south along the Labrador coast. Crashing into the north coast of of Newfoundland. These are ones the tourists flock to. The ones that find their way into the bays and coves. Here they become grounded on the ocean floor, break up and melt in the late spring tides and warm weather. This is their time to shine for the province’s travel and tourism businesses.
If you go
The time to go is typically early May to early June. But as mentioned before, nothing is guaranteed. Sometimes one area will get all the icebergs and others none. Or some year they will come as far south as St John’s and the Southern Shore.
Follow local FaceBook groups like Newfoundland Iceberg Reports and the Iceberg Finder website. You can also contact the local tour operators in St Anthony, Twillingate and Bonavista areas. These are the hotbeds of iceberg activity.
As we have noted in other traveling in Newfoundland posts plan ahead. Many tourism businesses in rural Newfoundland do not open for the season before May 24th weekend and many more not until June. This includes restaurants, B & Bs, Inns, tour operators site and attraction.
For more iceberg photos from Newfoundland and Labrador check out Greg Locke’s Welcome to Iceberg Alley gallery on his website.
