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Travel

Chasing icebergs in Newfoundland

Newly-revamped “Iceberg Finder” makes it easy for visitors to find the best spots in Newfoundland for iceberg viewing 

  • Published Jun 20, 2018
  • Updated Nov 15, 2022
  • 415 words
  • 2 minutes
A whale dives near an iceberg in Trinity Bay, Nfld. (Photo: Michael Winsor)
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They arrive each spring, drifting out of the Arctic with the Labrador Current: building-sized chunks of ice, some weighing as much as a cruise ship, in variegated hues ranging from white to aquamarine. Calved from the glaciers of Western Greenland, these icebergs travel for up to three years down the coast of Baffin Island and into the North Atlantic, so it seems only fitting that they have an audience as they reach the end of their journey on the Grand Banks of Newfoundland.

And they do: thousands of people flock to Twillingate, Fogo Island, Bonavista and St. John’s for a front-row seat to the annual parade of ice, and many tour companies offer a chance to get up close to these natural wonders, as well as to the whales and seabirds that play around and upon them. (You can even taste an iceberg.)

Now, it’s easier than ever to plan your iceberg-spotting adventure thanks to Newfoundland Tourism’s newly redesigned Iceberg Finder tool. The interactive website features a map of recent berg sightings, and users are encouraged to upload their own reports and photos to help keep the map as accurate as possible.

Michael Winsor, a fine art photographer based in St. John’s, has been using the map to plan his shoots.

“I’ve been travelling around Newfoundland and it amazes me how many tourists I speak to who say, ‘That’s another thing off my bucket list — to see an iceberg,’” he says.

Check out some of Winsor’s work below, and visit IcebergFinder.com to explore the map.

Naturally arched icebergs are the most rare and spectacular. This iceberg was banked off the coast of Cape Spear for a week, during which time it attracted thousands of tourists from around the world. (Photo: Michael Winsor)
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”To me this sculpted iceberg resembled a lady looking down upon a fishing boat, waiting for the fishermen to return from the sea,” says Winsor, ”which is why I titled it “Widow’s Walk.” (Photo: Michael Winsor)
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“This image was captured on a 4 a.m. zodiac tour,” says Winsor. “The sun was just rising and burning off the fog which lead to an iceberg presenting itself in front of the community church.” (Photo: Michael Winsor)
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A large and spectacular iceberg dwarfs a nearby fishing boat. (Photo: Michael Winsor)
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At the top of the planet is a whole other world. The sea is solid, the night is bright, narwhals and polar bears outnumber humans, glaciers grumble, and history is — quite literally — frozen in time. When you sail through the far north you become one of the lucky few on Earth to experience this sublime, surreal realm.  

Journey to the Canadian Arctic with Adventure Canada where you will marvel at towering icebergs, cruise pristine natural areas to spot amazing Arctic wildlife, enjoy the warmth of an Inuit welcome and explore the spectacular west coast of Greenland. You’ll travel with local guides who know the place best and can share their cultures with you firsthand.  

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“When trying to capture images of icebergs in Newfoundland and Labrador, you may get photobombed by a bald eagle,” Winsor says. (Photo: Michael Winsor)
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The Milky Way makes for a dramatic backdrop for an iceberg near Fogo, Nfld. (Photo: Michael Winsor)
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A veritable fortress of ice grounded on the rocks next to the Fort Amherst lighthouse, St. John's. (Photo: Michael Winsor)
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A boat tour is the best way to get up close to and capture the details of an iceberg. ”This berg was next to Cape Spear and provided a great photo opportunity to showcase the most easterly point in North America,” says Winsor. (Photo: Michael Winsor)
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