ST. ANTHONY, N.L. – If you want to see icebergs in Newfoundland this summer, the tip of the Great Northern Peninsula (GNP) has been the place to be.
On July 10, The Pilot reported that icebergs were few and far between in Twillingate, the self-proclaimed Iceberg Capital of the World.
Meanwhile, icebergs have been scarce elsewhere.
But that’s not the story in St. Anthony, St. Lunaire-Griquet, Goose Cove and other surrounding communities on the GNP.
Boat tours in the region are reporting to The Northern Pen that the number of icebergs off the coast of tip of the GNP are in line with other years.
The icebergs were late arriving off the coast this year, but starting around mid-June iceberg season has been in full swing.
Northland Discovery Boat Tours president Paul Alcock has been operating his boat tour business for 21 years.
He says the number of icebergs so far this season have been slightly above average.
He estimated there were about 12 icebergs in the region on July 12.
Kier Knudsen started Dark Tickle Expeditions Boat Tour, based out of St. Lunaire-Griquet, last year.
He actually says the number of icebergs this year has been slightly less than average, but it’s been a good year nonetheless.
Keith Pilgrim, who also started his business Iceberg Alley Boat Tours last year, out of St. Lunaire-Griquet, also says there are plenty of icebergs around.
Pilgrim and Alcock highlighted two icebergs off of Great Brehat as the biggest in the area, as of July 12.
The three operators all feel that the tip of the GNP is the best place for icebergs in the province.
They each say that all the icebergs that go on to Twilingate and other places have to pass the GNP first.
Alcock believes that the St. Anthony area consistently has the most icebergs and the longest iceberg season.
He refers to it as the “Iceberg Capital of Newfoundland”.
Knudsen says any year, the GNP is the place to be for icebergs.
Meanwhile, Pilgrim says, “On a bad year, we still got more than Twilingate.”
However, there have been some bumps in the road for business.
For Pilgrim, business has been a little slower than others. He says on his best day, he had 25 passengers. But the following two days he had six and zero respectively.
He suggests it might be a problem of perception.
“People don’t think there’s any icebergs, they’re not making trips down here,” he said. “And they’re seeing the few they wants to see along by the land.”
Alcock says before the iceberg season even started there were reports in April that there were no icebergs in Newfoundland this year.
He received numerous calls from people looking to cancel their tours.
“That was pretty alarming and it got pretty frustrating,” he said. “Give it time, there are some years that icebergs come later than other years.”
And Alcock has a theory for why the icebergs were late arriving off the shores of the GNP this year.
He believes they were likely caught in heavy multi-year Arctic pack ice.
“Once that came ashore, it brought the icebergs with it and the multi-year ice was pretty close to the shoreline and the icebergs came in close to the land up here,” he explained.
The iceberg season continues into late July and early August on the GNP.
