Icebergs & Whales
Icebergs
Given our location near the tip of the Bonavista Peninsula, our town often plays host to spectacular views of icebergs off of our coast. Transported by the Labrador Current, these large chunks of ice descend along the coast of Newfoundland as they melt away. The frequency of icebergs tend to vary from year to year but when they come in they can often be quite large.
Ice is less dense than salt water and typically one-ninth of the volume of an iceberg is above water. Hence what you actually see is quite literally the "tip of the iceberg.”
When a piece of iceberg ice melts, it makes a fizzing sound called "Bergie Seltzer". This sound is made when the water-ice interface reaches compressed air bubbles trapped in the ice. As this happens, each bubble bursts, making a 'popping' sound. The bubbles contain air trapped in snow layers very early in the history of the ice.
The Maberly Loop is often an excellent location to view whales. Each year we are fortunate to witness them swimming, jumping and feeding in our waters. There are days you can literally sit in your yard and just watch the show. Whales can be often seen feeding on the caplin (tiny fish) that swarm annually by the millions to spawn around our shores.
Humpbacks whales are often sighted in late spring from their Caribbean winter breeding grounds. They reach a body length of up to 53 feet.
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Other common whales are Minke and Fin. Minke whales are the smallest baleen whale in the northwest Atlantic reaching a length of approximately 30 feet. They are common in inshore waters in the summertime. They are quite curious and will often approach boats. The fin whale reaches about 75 feet in length and is also a common sight.
Whales
