From the Northern tip of Labrador down to the eastern coasts of Newfoundland, the sea that pounds and caresses these shores is nicknamed Iceberg Alley. Bergs born 10,000 years ago on the Greenland icecap dance along the coast and far out to sea, propelled unpredictably by wind and tide, tumbling, twirling, and breaking into fantastic shapes before melting in the warm waters of the gulf stream, southeast of Newfoundland and Labrador.
An iceberg’s journey down Iceberg Alley begins once it breaks off from the edges of Greenland’s glaciers. Dropping into the ocean, it is gripped by the Labrador current and carried through the dark ocean along the coasts of Newfoundland and Labrador. In the past, during certain times of the year, the alley has been thick with the largest and most beautiful icebergs found anywhere in the world. They glide majestically along, alone or in groups, obscuring the horizon with their tall, jagged silhouettes.
Sailors are always respectful of Iceberg Alley. Full-sized icebergs, bergy bits, and growlers of all shapes – tabular, wedged, pinnacled, domed, blocky, and drydocked – have been known to be obstacles for ill-equipped ships. It is where the Titanic met its resting place in April of 1912.
Iceberg Alley runs right by our coasts, homes, and trails. Here, it is possible to wake up and see pure white and blue towers of ice rising out of the ocean from the kitchen windows of our cliffside bed and breakfasts. If you’d like a closer view, get as safely possible on a kayak or boating expedition to icebergs, whales, and other marine life.
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Iceberg
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