Picture Story

After a foggy and bumpy five-hour car ride, followed by a white-knuckle zodiac boat ride, I was beginning to wonder whether coming to Quirpon Island, Newfoundland on a family trip had been a horrible decision. My fears were assuaged, however, as soon we made our final approach to the island and I looked up to behold something that I had been waiting years to see. A massive iceberg appeared out of the mist, and in an instant, I knew that this would undoubtedly be one of the best trips of our lives. I stood slack-jawed, completely in awe at this incredible sight, and as soon as we landed, I ran down to the rocky shore to get a closer look. I was so caught up in taking photos that I missed the ride up to our accommodations at the Quirpon Lighthouse Inn, and the initial excitement that I felt that foggy afternoon never dissipated as I spent the following three days giddily photographing these icy, ancient beauties.

This photo was taken on the first morning of our trip, as we waited for the thick sea fog to dissipate before going out in search of more ‘bergs in the zodiac. The tide this morning was just right, and I framed this shot to include the ocean cascading down the foreground shoreline while the iceberg ominously glowed through the mist in the background. The icebergs that can be found floating the icy waters around Newfoundland are 10,000 - 20,000 years old and have spent 4-6 years drifting down after calving off the glaciers of Greenland.