It is officially summer and we are starting a new theme for our blog
posts. To celebrate Canada’s 150th Birthday we are going to do 13
posts during the summer inspired by the 10 provinces and 3 territories.
First up...is Newfoundland. We thought that we might just go in order from west
to east but then we thought it’d be more fun to pick the names out of a hat
like we have done in the past.
This week the post is about all things icebergs. I know they sometimes
get a bad rap because it’s one of the first things you think of when you think about
the sinking of the Titanic, but we think they are pretty cool and to see one up
close would be an amazing experience. Icebergs are a big deal in Newfoundland. Newfoundland
is considered one of the best places to view icebergs in all shapes and sizes
and colours; some are over 10,000 years old! People take tours to go and see
all of the icebergs located in Iceberg Alley and you can even drink some (more
to come on that later).
If you are planning a trip to Newfoundland, icebergs are definitely
something that you have to put on your to do list. They are massive pieces of
nature that are not to be missed. They look big on the surface but just imagine
the rest of it under the sea. It's believed that 90% of the iceberg is under the surface.
Iceberg Alley is located from the coast of Labrador to the northeast
coast of Newfoundland. The best time of year to watch and look for icebergs is
actually late Spring, but you can still see them floating through in early
Summer as well. To show you where to look for one and to report one that hasn’t
been noted already, there is a website set up called IcebergFinder.com. It gives you
some iceberg facts, the most recent ones spotted, pictures, and
you can report a “berg” if you spot one that is not already on the list. They
are constantly melting so some icebergs listed may not be there when you go to
look for them!
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So you can simply watch for icebergs from the shore or it’s recommended
if you can to watch them from a boat tour or a kayak. If you opt for a boat
tour or kayak trip then you’ll most likely get to see the many humpback and
killer whales and puffins that inhabit Newfoundland’s ocean and shores. They have
many tours available depending on what you’d like to do. Make sure you listen
to all of the safety precautions. Apparently icebergs are quite unpredictable
and maintaining a safe distance is very important because ice could fall, there
could be hazards under the water, and large waves may suddenly happen.
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| http://www.newfoundlandlabrador.com/ThingsToDo/Kayakin |
Since there are so many icebergs in this region, they put them to good
use and make drinks from them. They harvest the water from the giant icebergs
to make vodka, gin, rum, beer, and they leave it as plain water to drink also.
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| https://www.iceberg.ca/ |
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| http://www.quidividibrewery.ca/award-winning-beers/iceberg/ |
The most famous iceberg of course is the one that sunk the Titanic. It
was thought to be about 200-400 ft. and probably about a mile long. That night
it was said that the water temperature was just under freezing which of course
is cold, but that is warm to an iceberg so it was probably melting and probably completely
melted away by 1913. At the time of the collision, it was passing through Iceberg Alley just off
the coast of Newfoundland which we now know is full
of icebergs especially in the Spring when Titanic was passing through.
A steward on another ship took a photo of an iceberg that is most likely
the one that struck the Titanic as it had streaks of red paint on it.
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| https://www.wired.com/2012/04/titanic-iceberg-history/ |
This past April one of the largest icebergs ever was spotted off the
coast of Newfoundland in Ferryland and there were 480 other not as big ones
that were out there too. The gigantic iceberg was 80 meters high and attracted crowds
of people. It was a big deal. Eventually it floated off and started melting
down, but it was quite the sight to see for a while.
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| http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/world-famous-iceberg-drifting-from-newfoundland-town-mayor-says-1.3382554 |
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