Ancient, amazing, and mesmerizing to behold, icebergs are a perfect match for Newfoundland’s ruggedly beautiful shore. Because icebergs come to us from the North, the right time to see them varies along the coast: the further north you go, the longer the season is.
Sharing your iceberg sightings
During the active iceberg season, Newfoundland & Labrador’s IcebergFinder is the established place to find out about recent iceberg sightings. Another fine place for recent sightings is the crowd-sourced Newfoundland Iceberg Reports group on Facebook, I recommend you check them both out.
In the comment section below, I’ll add my own observations and keep a record of recent sightings as well, and you are welcome to share your sightings there too:
Iceberg seasons through the years
So when exactly is the iceberg season?
Every year is a little different, so it’s a good idea to keep your eye on the official Canadian Ice Service charts. By checking these charts early every year, you’ll soon see the potential of the upcoming season. This page keeps track of the annual iceberg seasons in 3 key areas:
- the Great Northern Peninsula (St. Anthony, L’Anse aux Meadows)
- the Kittiwake Coast (Twillingate, Fogo Island, Lumsden)
- the Avalon Peninsula (St. John’s, East Coast Trail)
To see what iceberg activity was like in previous years, just scroll back through the years in the window below:
| 2020: | |
| Great Northern Peninsula: | △ icebergs: mid-March – … ▤ sea ice: early February – late April |
| Kittiwake Coast: | △ icebergs: early April – late June ▤ sea ice: early March – early April |
| Avalon Peninsula: | △ icebergs: early April – early June ▤ sea ice: no significant amounts of sea ice |
| Comments: | The 2020 ice season began in early February with sea ice around the tip of the Great Northern Peninsula. By early March, the ice reached the shores of Twillingate and Fogo Island, where it lingered for a few weeks before being blown offshore.
The first icebergs of the 2020 season were spotted off the Baie Verte Peninsula and Twillingate in March, with icebergs showing up off the coast of Bonavista and St. John’s by April. With COVID-19 precautions in place for much of spring and summer, 2020 hasn’t been a good year for iceberg watching. This season’s iceberg numbers were down too, not many made it to shore in accessible locations. As icebergs go, you only need 1 to have a great experience though, so 2020 wasn’t a total loss for those lucky enough to see them. |
| 2019: | |
| Great Northern Peninsula: | △ icebergs: mid-April – early August ▤ sea ice: mid-January – early May |
| Kittiwake Coast: | △ icebergs: mid-April – late July ▤ sea ice: mid-February – mid-March |
| Avalon Peninsula: | △ icebergs: late April – mid-July ▤ sea ice: no significant amounts of sea ice |
| Comments: | The 2019 ice season began mid-January with sea ice around the tip of the Great Northern Peninsula. In early March, a few scattered icebergs were spotted from St. Anthony to Twillingate. In early April, iceberg charts filled with offshore icebergs, which started arriving in mid-April. In May, the iceberg seasons was in full swing with icebergs present all along Iceberg Alley, from St. Anthony to La Scie to Twillingate to Fogo to Bonavista to St. John’s and the surrounding East Coast Trail. Thanks to favourable winds and high iceberg numbers, icebergs along the East Coast Trail remained near shore throughout June and much of July. In the warm days of summer, the Great Northern Peninsula will be the likely last place to see icebergs near shore into early August. |
| 2018: | |
| Great Northern Peninsula: | △ icebergs: mid-April – early August ▤ sea ice: late January – mid-May |
| Kittiwake Coast: | △ icebergs: late April – mid-June ▤ sea ice: late February – late April |
| Avalon Peninsula: | △ icebergs: no significant amounts of icebergs ▤ sea ice: no significant amounts of sea ice |
| Comments: | On the Avalon, icebergs did come, but not in significant numbers. The Bonavista Peninsula and Kittiwake Coast saw plenty of icebergs up until the end of June. By July the Great Northern Peninsula was the only reliable place left to spot icebergs. Browse back through the comments for week by week sightings and commentary. |
| 2017: | |
| Great Northern Peninsula: | △ icebergs: mid-February – mid-August ▤ sea ice: mid-January – mid-June |
| Kittiwake Coast: | △ icebergs: late March – early August ▤ sea ice: late February – late June |
| Avalon Peninsula: | △ icebergs: early April – early August ▤ sea ice: late March – late April |
| Comments: | a good iceberg season right from the start / March and April polar bear sightings near St. Anthony, Twillingate, Newman’s Cove, Melrose, Catalina, Brookside, Wesleyville and St. Brendan’s |
| 2016: | |
| Great Northern Peninsula: | △ icebergs: early May – late July ▤ sea ice: early January – early April |
| Kittiwake Coast: | △ icebergs: mid-May – early July ▤ sea ice: mid-February – early April |
| Avalon Peninsula: | △ icebergs: late May – late June ▤ no significant amounts of sea ice |
| Comments: | April and May polar bear sightings in Goose Cove and on Fogo Island |
| 2015: | |
| Great Northern Peninsula: | △ icebergs: late March – late July ▤ sea ice: early January – mid-May |
| Kittiwake Coast: | △ icebergs: late April – mid-July ▤ sea ice: early February – mid-April |
| Avalon Peninsula: | △ icebergs: early May – late July ▤ no significant amounts of sea ice |
| Comments: | April and May polar bear sightings in La Scie, on Fogo Island, and near St. Anthony |
| 2014: | |
| Great Northern Peninsula: | △ icebergs: late March – early August ▤ sea ice: late December ’13 – early June |
| Kittiwake Coast: | △ icebergs: late April – early August ▤ sea ice: late January – mid-May |
| Avalon Peninsula: | △ icebergs: late April – early July ▤ sea ice: early March – mid-March |
| Comments: | a good iceberg season on the Kittiwake Coast and the Avalon Peninsula / March and April polar bear sightings in St. Anthony |
| 2013: | |
| Great Northern Peninsula: | △ icebergs: late February – early August ▤ sea ice: late January – mid-April |
| Kittiwake Coast: | △ icebergs: early March – early July ▤ sea ice: mid-February – mid-April |
| Avalon Peninsula: | △ no significant amounts of icebergs ▤ no significant amounts of sea ice |
| Comments: | March polar bear sighting near St. Anthony |
| 2012: | |
| Great Northern Peninsula: | △ icebergs: mid-March – late July ▤ sea ice: mid-January – late April |
| Kittiwake Coast: | △ icebergs: mid-March – late June ▤ sea ice: late February – mid-April |
| Avalon Peninsula: | △ icebergs: mid-March – mid-June ▤ sea ice: late March – early April |
| Comments: | March, April and May polar bear sightings near St. Anthony (2), Newtown/Greenspond and La Scie |
| 2011: | |
| Great Northern Peninsula: | △ icebergs: late March – mid-September ▤ sea ice: late February – late April |
| Kittiwake Coast: | △ icebergs: late May & early September – early December ▤ sea ice: early April – mid-April |
| Avalon Peninsula: | △ no icebergs ▤ no sea ice |
| Comments: | April polar bear sighting in St. Anthony |
| 2010: | |
| Great Northern Peninsula: | △ icebergs: mid-April – late July ▤ sea ice: early February – early April |
| Kittiwake Coast: | △ no significant amounts of icebergs ▤ no significant amounts of sea ice |
| Avalon Peninsula: | △ no icebergs ▤ no sea ice |
| 2009: | |
| Great Northern Peninsula: | △ icebergs: early March – mid-August ▤ sea ice: mid-January – mid-May |
| Kittiwake Coast: | △ icebergs: mid-March – late July ▤ sea ice: early February – early May |
| Avalon Peninsula: | △ icebergs: late March – early June ▤ sea ice: late March – early April |
| Comments: | April polar bear sighting in St. Anthony |
| 2008: | |
| Great Northern Peninsula: | △ icebergs: mid-February – late July ▤ sea ice: late December ’07 – mid-May |
| Kittiwake Coast: | △ icebergs: early April – mid-June ▤ sea ice: late January – late April |
| Avalon Peninsula: | △ icebergs: late April – late June ▤ sea ice: mid-March – late March |
| Comments: | March polar bear sighting on Fogo Island and St. Anthony |
| 2007: | |
| Great Northern Peninsula: | △ icebergs: early April – early August ▤ sea ice: mid-January – early June |
| Kittiwake Coast: | △ icebergs: early March – late July ▤ sea ice: mid-February – early June |
| Avalon Peninsula: | △ icebergs: early April – early June ▤ no significant amounts of sea ice |
| Comments: | July polar bear sighting in Raleigh |
| 2006: | |
| Great Northern Peninsula: | △ icebergs: early March – mid-July ▤ sea ice: late January – early April |
| Kittiwake Coast: | △ icebergs: early May – mid-May ▤ sea ice: late February – late March |
| Avalon Peninsula: | △ no icebergs ▤ no sea ice |
| 2005: | |
| Great Northern Peninsula: | △ icebergs: late March – early May ▤ sea ice: early January – early May |
| Kittiwake Coast: | △ icebergs: early May – mid-May ▤ sea ice: late January – late April |
| Avalon Peninsula: | △ no icebergs ▤ sea ice: late March |
About these dates
The dates listed above are based on personal observations, information shared on social media, and on the official charts published by the Canadian Ice Service. A threshold of 5 icebergs was used as the minimum required amount for the observed ‘start’ and ‘end’ of an iceberg season in any of the three key areas.
Wildlife
While icebergs are the undeniable stars of any good iceberg season, they’re often accompanied by more infamous visitors too: polar bears hunting seals are known to drift in with the spring sea ice, giving coastal communities a good reason to be extra vigilant.
East Coast Trail Guide
With Newfoundland’s #1 hiking guide in your pocket, you’ll have no trouble finding your way to any of the icebergs that arrive on the East Coast Trail this year.
Icebergs still present along the East Coast Trail, find them on both sides of Cape Spear Path, and near Ferryland 🙂
Icebergs are still present on both sides of Cape Spear Path near St. John’s. 🙂 More icebergs are present further north, in places like Twillingate and St. Anthony.
Saw 4 beautiful icebergs in Jackson’s Cove today (near Springdale). They were all close to shore, but one of them was close enough to enjoy from the meadow trail just before the wharf (Shilly Cove).
Just saw the iceberg in Motion Bay, between Cape Spear Path and Motion Path. It’s a pinnacle type 🙂
There’s a nice blocky/wedge-shaped iceberg in Renews, just off Island Meadow Path 🙂
On a long road trip yesterday, we found the icebergs in Petty Harbour andRenews still there, and also saw one close to shore between Cappahayden and Chance Cove Provincial Park. That last one is along a difficult hiking trails, but the other two can be seen from the highway. 🙂
A nice iceberg off Little Bell Island in Conception Bay. We saw it from (Big) Bell Island, a beautiful sight 🙂
On my sunrise walk this morning I found two icebergs in the St. John’s area, one is still grounded in Motion Bay close to Cape Spear Path, the other one is a little further south, in Lower Cove off Motion Path. 🙂
A small but nice iceberg can be seen just off the coast at Freshwater (near Carbonear).
The iceberg in Motion Bay is still there today, now no longer a distant sighting but right up close to Cape Spear Path near North Head. 🙂
August is here, and that usually means the end of the iceberg season is here for most of Newfoundland, with the possible exception of the Great Northern Peninsula, as it is the most northern part of the island.
This year has been an exceptional year for icebergs. Early in the season we had great numbers near shore thanks to favourable winds blowing them south from Iceberg Alley. Later on, the season delighted visitors with icebergs that found their way into coves and bays, where they grounded and lasted for a while until they melted.
Today’s iceberg chart counts only a handful of icebergs around the island, but great numbers (hundreds) are still present off the coast of Labrador.
Small iceberg off cape spear, part of the road was closed so I couldn’t get too close but where it was close to the land I was still able to get a good look
Thanks Kali, glad you got a good look at it. You likely already knew, but Cape Spear National Historic Site and other Parks Canada locations are currently closed to prevent people gathering there during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The 2020 iceberg season is underway, with some early sightings coming in from LaScie and Twillingate, and more recently from Bonavista and St. John’s.
The sea ice that flowed down Iceberg Alley last month didn’t make it far past the Kittiwake Coast, and much of it has now blown out to sea. While it may be possible that some of it finds its way back to shore, it’s unlikely that a significant amount of ice will make it to the Avalon this year.
In previous years, I always kept an eye on polar bear sightings too, but this year there’s a bigger threat out there, and yes I’m talking about the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the coming months, please help reduce the spread of this viral outbreak by listening to your public health authorities, which are currently asking everyone to stay at home as much as possible. In other words: driving all over the island to go and see icebergs is not a good idea at this time. Instead, please enjoy this year’s batch of bergs online, like on IcebergFinder or on the Newfoundland Iceberg Reports group on Facebook.
Please stay safe everyone.
Looking for iceberg sightings this week
Anything stopping us Newfoundlanders from viewing icebergs in 2020?
Hi Bob, for now I suggest following the best advice from your public health experts, and that is physical distancing and staying home as much as possible. It’s hard for this bug to spread when everyone stays at home.
Hopefully that public effort will put out the fire before long, and if no new cases show up from off-island, Newfoundland will have a much better summer than the rest of the world, maybe in time for folks to enjoy some icebergs.
Please stay safe 🙂
Has anyone noticed any icebergs close to shore in the Trinity-Conception Bay area? Thanks
Hi Sherry, there are two icebergs along the Skerwink Trail near Trinity/Port Rexton at the moment.
Any icebergs within 1 hour of St. John’s as of Sunday, June 14? Or closest? thx
Nothing that close to St. John’s at the moment, the closest I know about is a 3 hour drive away near Trinity…