Up Close and Personal With an Iceberg!

Wednesday, July 31, 2013

We had rain overnight after clearing the day before. It looked like it would be rainy in the morning, with less rain later in the day. The next day was going to be very windy. Friday looked good for the boat trip. Greg tried to use SKYPE to call and make reservations, but the call kept getting dropped. We decided we would have to drive back to St. Anthony, make a reservation in person, then drive out to the Viking site. After that we would look to camp at Pistolet Bay Provincial Park.



When we arrived at the dock, we found out that we could get on the 1 PM boat, so we signed up, and had an hour to get lunch. We drove to Mary Brown's Chicken and Taters. We have been seeing them all over Newfoundland, so we decided it was time to try it. Being raised on Maryland fried chicken, I wasn't expecting much! It was a fast food restaurant and was just okay. We were the only non-locals there, and got lots of stares. Everyone else got gravy with their orders and dipped pieces of chicken and their fries in it. Okay, we tried Mary Brown's. Now we can move on to other culinary delights!



We got back in time to board the boat and Greg and I managed to get some spots standing along the rail on the side of the bow. The clouds, rain and fog were clearing out and a wind starting. As we left the harbor we enjoying seeing the fishing boats and larger vessels. We cleared the harbor and shortly afterward saw some dolphins and humpback whales. They didn't stick around for long, and never got very close, so we continued on to the iceberg which had shown up the day before. It was three and a half miles off shore, so within reach for the two hour tour. It was about 500 feet long, 300 feet wide and 100 feet tall above water. St. Anthony is along Iceberg Alley. The chunks break off of Greenland and spend two years traveling along the coast of Labrador and down along the northern coast of Newfoundland. When they hit the warmer water they start to melt. The icebergs show up where we were and usually last at least to Twillingate where we saw one on the horizon while we were there. It turns out that they have only had two there this year, highly unusual. So we were fortunate to see one there. The one we saw from the boat was one of the largest they have seen, and very unusual to see it so late in iceberg season. It will be melted and gone within a month or so.

Shrimp factory trawler

We boated out to the iceberg and circled around it. Just as we got there they started playing the instrumental theme to “Titanic”. Tacky? Yes, but oddly enough, stirring. The iceberg was much more interesting than just a hunk of ice. The variation in color above and below the surface, the seabirds resting on it, and the contrast with the sea and sky were frankly hard to describe, or forget. The photos can't really do it justice. Greg and I had to make ourselves stop photographing and just enjoy the experience.

Cue Titanic Theme Music

On the way back to the harbor we saw a few more whales, but only briefly. Some days they like to play, but that day wasn't one of them. For me, the whales were a little extra fun. The iceberg was what made the trip worthwhile. After we docked we headed back up the peninsula and drove to Pistolet Bay Provincial Park. There were no hook-ups there and a boil water order, but the campground from the night before had no room, and at the provincial park we got a site at the end of the loop with lots of privacy. As dusk settled in late, 9:30 or so, the fog began to creep across the spruce woods and bogs, and created an eery landscape.

Humpback

Disgruntled Humpback

Last glimpse of iceberg while sailing back into the harbor

Back in St. Anthony