Just off the coast of Newfoundland float humongous slabs of bright, white ice -- almost close enough to touch.
Over the weekend, a large berg floated within metres of the shoreline in St. John’s harbour, attracting a crowd of onlookers.
It’s just the latest in what’s been a banner year for icebergs in
Canada’s eastern-most province. Tourists are taking in the spectacular
sights from the beaches or on guided boat tours. Some are even
hopping in the frigid waters to get a closer view.
“Icebergs are so plentiful around these parts, we actually put them to
good use,” says the Newfoundland and Labrador tourism website. Iceberg
water, iceberg vodka and iceberg beer are all crafted using the water
from the ocean’s natural ice cubes.
And though the area usually has plenty of bergs, this year they’ve been
especially plentiful, says iceberg expert Stephen Bruneau.
He said more icebergs than usual survived the trip down south, toward Newfoundland’s coast, this year.
“I think it has to do with the harshness of the winter,” the Memorial University associate professor
told Canada AM
earlier this week. “We had more sea ice around, and when we have more
sea ice, there tends to be a preservation of the icebergs.”
Those planning a trip out to the frosty shores can scout out where the icebergs are in advance using the province's
Iceberg Finder, a map regularly updated by a team of tourism staff and satellite trackers.
