Iceberg near Bylot Island

Iceberg near Bylot Island, originally uploaded by susanvg.

Adventure Canada trip: July 23 - August 2

Icebergs

Icebergs loom
Glistening castles of the sea
Mountains meandering
along the currents

Woken from a long sleep on the land
Pushed from the ice field
With cracks and splashes
Set free to roam

What voyages lie ahead
As they bob and roll and twist
Breaking reshaping
Lapped by the waters

Light and shadows
Dance on their walls
Exquisite moments
Up Iceberg Alley

The icebergs calve from the glacier at Ilulisaat and slowly free themselves from the sea floor to start their journey through Disco Bay. They then catch the current up the coast of Greenland, swing across to Baffin Island and then catch the current south to Newfoundland and Labrador. It takes about three years during which they are constrantly resculpted by the sun the wind, by storms and by their rolling as their shapes change. By the time they reach Newfoundland they are considerably smaller.

As we sailed up the coast we passed iceberg after iceberg – each a marvel – a trip past a sculpture garden fashioned by Mother Nature. Iceberg Alley. Off Baffin Island we saw fewer icebergs, but each was a spectacular treat – sometimes looming mysteriously through mist, other times catching the sunshine. As the light changed so did the icebergs – a magical transformation

More photos: click here