Global Courant 2023-04-19 13:30:00
A layer of fog descends on the coast of the southern coast of the Avalon Peninsula, looking like something straight out of a fantasy or horror movie.
While an attractive sight in its own right, the gray curtain of fog blocks the main attraction: a large iceberg floating in the water off the coast of Ferryland.
“It’s huge, we always wanted to see one of that size,” said Andrew Wiscombe, who went to the iceberg with his wife, photographer Aleesha Bootsma, and son Brady on Tuesday afternoon.
“To actually be able to experience it was really cool.”
The piece of floating ice, which currently sits next to an island off the coast of Ferryland, has attracted many onlookers and photographers in recent days, said Charlie Dunne, the co-owner of Dunne’s Bed and Breakfast in Ferryland.
While the city has seen ice before, such as the massive iceberg that drifted by in 2017, Dunne said it’s one of the largest icebergs he’s ever seen.
Photographer Aleesha Bootsma went with her husband Andrew Wiscombe and son, Brady, to view and photograph the iceberg off the coast of Ferryland. (Submitted by Aleesha Bootsma)
“It’s absolutely amazing,” said Dunne. “It’s too good to miss.”
Ferryland mayor Aidan Costello estimates that the iceberg is about 100 feet high and that the annual arrival of icebergs is a good thing for a small town’s economy.
“It’s a great start to our tourism season. It’s nice to see so many people there,” said Costello.
“I was just in the restaurant and had a look there and it was quite busy. So yes, you can definitely notice the traffic in the city today.”
At age 8, Brady Wiscombe says he’s seen a lot of ice cream in his life. But he says he’s never seen such a big iceberg. He says he was excited to see the chunk of ice and hopes to see “maybe seven” in total this year.
“I was just surprised, really surprised,” said Brady.
‘This is God’s playground’
Jacqueline Harding and her husband, Bob, say they waited more than an hour on Tuesday afternoon for the fog to lift so they could glimpse their very first iceberg.
The couple hail from Vancouver Island and have spent the past few months in Newfoundland celebrating the birth of their granddaughter.
Although it took a while for the fog to lift, Jacqueline says it was worth the wait.
“The fact that it comes from a glacier, and yes, the color, how white they are and how big and glorious they look… It’s amazing,” she said.
Alain Marion moved from Brantford, Ont. in September. He says he spent about four days looking for the iceberg as it moved along the coast.
“I’m ecstatic to see it, it’s amazing,” said Marion, who says he’s retiring in Newfoundland.
“This is God’s playground. This is the best place on earth.”
Environment Canada’s Iceberg Bulletin estimates that there are currently between 207 and 275 icebergs in the province.
Read more from CBC Newfoundland and Labrador
