Where the icebergs come from
Most icebergs seen off Newfoundland and Labrador break off glaciers in western Greenland. Currents carry them north, then south along the Labrador coast and down the island's north-east shore. This stretch of coast is often called Iceberg Alley. The journey can take a year or more, and many bergs melt or ground before arriving.
The general season
Icebergs are most commonly seen from around May into June, with some years bringing them earlier in spring or keeping them around into July. There is no fixed peak. Sea ice, winds and water temperatures all affect how many bergs come south and how close they drift to shore. Some years are remarkable; others see very few.
If icebergs are the main reason for your trip, it is safer to plan for late May through June and keep a few days flexible so you can go where they are.
Where to look
- Twillingate and the Notre Dame Bay area, a well-known base for iceberg tours.
- St. Anthony and the tip of the Great Northern Peninsula.
- Bonavista and the headlands of the Bonavista Peninsula.
- St. John's, Cape Spear and the Avalon coast, when bergs drift far enough south.
Check before you drive
Icebergs move, ground and break apart, so a berg seen one day may be gone the next. The provincial tourism agency has published an online iceberg sighting map (Iceberg Finder), and local boat tour operators usually know where bergs are this week. Ask them directly before committing to a long drive.
Combining icebergs with whales and puffins
Humpback whales generally arrive to feed in summer, and Atlantic puffins nest at seabird colonies from spring through late summer. Early summer can overlap all three, although nothing is guaranteed. Operators can tell you what they have been seeing recently.