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Icebergs

What are your chances of seeing an iceberg?

A twin-peaked iceberg in a harbour near St. Anthony, seen over the roofs of two fishing sheds.
A twin-peaked iceberg in a harbour near St. Anthony, seen over the roofs of two fishing sheds.Photo: Larry Lamsa, 2024-06-09 · source · CC BY 2.0 · cropped

Book late May and early June · Province iceberg viewing advice

Drive Iceberg Alley

Each drive ends at a viewing spot it names. Check Iceberg Finder for the latest sightings before you go.

A twin-pinnacled iceberg grounded off Exploits Island in Notre Dame Bay, photographed from a boat at water level.
A twin-pinnacled iceberg grounded off Exploits Island in Notre Dame Bay, photographed from a boat at water level.Photo: Shawn from Airdrie, Canada · source · CC BY-SA 2.0

Caught one on camera with something for scale (a boat, a headland, a person)? We want it, credited to you.

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The record, for the curious

Chance of icebergs

92%of years had ice off Newfoundland in May — the peak month

The share of 122 recorded years (the month-by-month series in the source runs 1900–2021; the headline stats above use the full record to 2025) with at least one iceberg south of 48°N in that month. History, not a forecast — and the count is taken in the shipping lanes, not in the bay you'll stand beside. For the latest sightings, check Iceberg Finder.

Best time to come

Late May and early June

Why not April? The ice is there: 90% of years had icebergs in April, close to May's 92%. But in April the bergs may still be locked up in sea ice along the coast, so the province suggests waiting for late May and early June to see them. The province's advice

Your odds, month by month

The same question for every month of the year: in how many of the 122 counted years was there ice that month? Tap the month you're travelling.

  1. Jan25%
  2. Feb50%
  3. Mar84%
  4. Apr90%Sea ice
  5. May92%Late May
  6. Jun86%Early June
  7. Jul72%
  8. Aug48%
  9. Sep24%
  10. Oct16%
  11. Nov16%
  12. Dec17%

Share of counted years (1900–2021) with at least one iceberg south of 48°N in that month. A month can deliver ice to the lanes and none to a given bay — wind and current decide the last miles.

A century of iceberg years, counted

The US Coast Guard's International Ice Patrol has counted the icebergs drifting south of 48°N — the shipping lanes off Newfoundland — every ice year since 1900. This is that record, drawn from the data itself.

Heaviest year
2,202
icebergs in 1984
Lightest years
0
twice: 1966 and 2006
Median year
317.5
across 126 ice years
Latest season
250
2025, “moderate” per IIP
05001,0001,5002,000light ≤ 230moderate ≤ 1036severe ≤ 13981900: 88 icebergs (NSIDC G10028)1901: 81 icebergs (NSIDC G10028)1902: 48 icebergs (NSIDC G10028)1903: 802 icebergs (NSIDC G10028)1904: 266 icebergs (NSIDC G10028)1905: 822 icebergs (NSIDC G10028)1906: 428 icebergs (NSIDC G10028)1907: 635 icebergs (NSIDC G10028)1908: 207 icebergs (NSIDC G10028)1909: 1,041 icebergs (NSIDC G10028)1910: 51 icebergs (NSIDC G10028)1911: 374 icebergs (NSIDC G10028)1912: 1,038 icebergs (NSIDC G10028)1913: 543 icebergs (NSIDC G10028)1914: 721 icebergs (NSIDC G10028)1915: 487 icebergs (NSIDC G10028)1916: 55 icebergs (NSIDC G10028)1917: 38 icebergs (NSIDC G10028)1918: 181 icebergs (NSIDC G10028)1919: 317 icebergs (NSIDC G10028)1920: 430 icebergs (NSIDC G10028)1921: 762 icebergs (NSIDC G10028)1922: 492 icebergs (NSIDC G10028)1923: 284 icebergs (NSIDC G10028)1924: 11 icebergs (NSIDC G10028)1925: 109 icebergs (NSIDC G10028)1926: 341 icebergs (NSIDC G10028)1927: 393 icebergs (NSIDC G10028)1928: 507 icebergs (NSIDC G10028)1929: 1,329 icebergs (NSIDC G10028)1930: 504 icebergs (NSIDC G10028)1931: 14 icebergs (NSIDC G10028)1932: 514 icebergs (NSIDC G10028)1933: 216 icebergs (NSIDC G10028)1934: 576 icebergs (NSIDC G10028)1935: 872 icebergs (NSIDC G10028)1936: 25 icebergs (NSIDC G10028)1937: 470 icebergs (NSIDC G10028)1938: 664 icebergs (NSIDC G10028)1939: 850 icebergs (NSIDC G10028)1940: 1 iceberg (NSIDC G10028)1941: 3 icebergs (NSIDC G10028)1942: 30 icebergs (NSIDC G10028)1943: 840 icebergs (NSIDC G10028)1944: 700 icebergs (NSIDC G10028)1945: 1,083 icebergs (NSIDC G10028)1946: 430 icebergs (NSIDC G10028)1947: 63 icebergs (NSIDC G10028)1948: 523 icebergs (NSIDC G10028)1949: 47 icebergs (NSIDC G10028)1950: 457 icebergs (NSIDC G10028)1951: 8 icebergs (NSIDC G10028)1952: 15 icebergs (NSIDC G10028)1953: 56 icebergs (NSIDC G10028)1954: 312 icebergs (NSIDC G10028)1955: 61 icebergs (NSIDC G10028)1956: 80 icebergs (NSIDC G10028)1957: 931 icebergs (NSIDC G10028)1958: 1 iceberg (NSIDC G10028)1959: 689 icebergs (NSIDC G10028)1960: 258 icebergs (NSIDC G10028)1961: 114 icebergs (NSIDC G10028)1962: 121 icebergs (NSIDC G10028)1963: 25 icebergs (NSIDC G10028)1964: 369 icebergs (NSIDC G10028)1965: 76 icebergs (NSIDC G10028)1966: 0 icebergs (NSIDC G10028)1967: 441 icebergs (NSIDC G10028)1968: 230 icebergs (NSIDC G10028)1969: 53 icebergs (NSIDC G10028)1970: 85 icebergs (NSIDC G10028)1971: 73 icebergs (NSIDC G10028)1972: 1,588 icebergs (NSIDC G10028)1973: 846 icebergs (NSIDC G10028)1974: 1,387 icebergs (NSIDC G10028)1975: 100 icebergs (NSIDC G10028)1976: 151 icebergs (NSIDC G10028)1977: 22 icebergs (NSIDC G10028)1978: 75 icebergs (NSIDC G10028)1979: 152 icebergs (NSIDC G10028)1980: 24 icebergs (NSIDC G10028)1981: 63 icebergs (NSIDC G10028)1982: 188 icebergs (NSIDC G10028)1983: 1,352 icebergs (NSIDC G10028)1984: 2,202 icebergs (NSIDC G10028)1985: 1,063 icebergs (NSIDC G10028)1986: 204 icebergs (NSIDC G10028)1987: 318 icebergs (NSIDC G10028)1988: 187 icebergs (NSIDC G10028)1989: 301 icebergs (NSIDC G10028)1990: 793 icebergs (NSIDC G10028)1991: 1,974 icebergs (NSIDC G10028)1992: 876 icebergs (NSIDC G10028)1993: 1,753 icebergs (NSIDC G10028)1994: 1,765 icebergs (NSIDC G10028)1995: 1,432 icebergs (NSIDC G10028)1996: 611 icebergs (NSIDC G10028)1997: 1,011 icebergs (NSIDC G10028)1998: 1,380 icebergs (NSIDC G10028)1999: 22 icebergs (NSIDC G10028)2000: 843 icebergs (NSIDC G10028)2001: 89 icebergs (NSIDC G10028)2002: 877 icebergs (NSIDC G10028)2003: 927 icebergs (NSIDC G10028)2004: 262 icebergs (NSIDC G10028)2005: 11 icebergs (NSIDC G10028)2006: 0 icebergs (NSIDC G10028)2007: 324 icebergs (NSIDC G10028)2008: 976 icebergs (NSIDC G10028)2009: 1,204 icebergs (NSIDC G10028)2010: 1 iceberg (NSIDC G10028)2011: 3 icebergs (NSIDC G10028)2012: 499 icebergs (NSIDC G10028)2013: 13 icebergs (NSIDC G10028)2014: 1,546 icebergs (NSIDC G10028)2015: 1,165 icebergs (NSIDC G10028)2016: 687 icebergs (NSIDC G10028)2017: 1,008 icebergs (NSIDC G10028)2018: 208 icebergs (NSIDC G10028)2019: 1,515 icebergs (NSIDC G10028)2020: 169 icebergs (NSIDC G10028)2021: 1 iceberg (NSIDC G10028)2022: 58 icebergs (Bulletin No. 108, CG-188-77)2023: 385 icebergs (Bulletin No. 109, CG-188-78)2024: 22 icebergs (Bulletin No. 110, CG-188-79)2025: 250 icebergs (Bulletin No. 111, CG-188-80)190019251950197520002025icebergs
Icebergs counted south of 48°N per ice year, 1900–2025. Each year runs 1 October to 30 September and is named for the year it ends, so the 1984 bar covers October 1983 to September 1984. Counts before 1914 come from US Hydrographic Office records rather than IIP observations. The dashed lines are the IIP's own season-severity buckets, in use since 2018, drawn across the whole record for comparison (56% of all years cleared the "light" bar). The two orange marks at the baseline are the zero-iceberg years, 1966 and 2006.
The full table, year by year
Ice yearIcebergs south of 48°NSource
190088NSIDC G10028
190181NSIDC G10028
190248NSIDC G10028
1903802NSIDC G10028
1904266NSIDC G10028
1905822NSIDC G10028
1906428NSIDC G10028
1907635NSIDC G10028
1908207NSIDC G10028
19091,041NSIDC G10028
191051NSIDC G10028
1911374NSIDC G10028
19121,038NSIDC G10028
1913543NSIDC G10028
1914721NSIDC G10028
1915487NSIDC G10028
191655NSIDC G10028
191738NSIDC G10028
1918181NSIDC G10028
1919317NSIDC G10028
1920430NSIDC G10028
1921762NSIDC G10028
1922492NSIDC G10028
1923284NSIDC G10028
192411NSIDC G10028
1925109NSIDC G10028
1926341NSIDC G10028
1927393NSIDC G10028
1928507NSIDC G10028
19291,329NSIDC G10028
1930504NSIDC G10028
193114NSIDC G10028
1932514NSIDC G10028
1933216NSIDC G10028
1934576NSIDC G10028
1935872NSIDC G10028
193625NSIDC G10028
1937470NSIDC G10028
1938664NSIDC G10028
1939850NSIDC G10028
19401NSIDC G10028
19413NSIDC G10028
194230NSIDC G10028
1943840NSIDC G10028
1944700NSIDC G10028
19451,083NSIDC G10028
1946430NSIDC G10028
194763NSIDC G10028
1948523NSIDC G10028
194947NSIDC G10028
1950457NSIDC G10028
19518NSIDC G10028
195215NSIDC G10028
195356NSIDC G10028
1954312NSIDC G10028
195561NSIDC G10028
195680NSIDC G10028
1957931NSIDC G10028
19581NSIDC G10028
1959689NSIDC G10028
1960258NSIDC G10028
1961114NSIDC G10028
1962121NSIDC G10028
196325NSIDC G10028
1964369NSIDC G10028
196576NSIDC G10028
19660NSIDC G10028
1967441NSIDC G10028
1968230NSIDC G10028
196953NSIDC G10028
197085NSIDC G10028
197173NSIDC G10028
19721,588NSIDC G10028
1973846NSIDC G10028
19741,387NSIDC G10028
1975100NSIDC G10028
1976151NSIDC G10028
197722NSIDC G10028
197875NSIDC G10028
1979152NSIDC G10028
198024NSIDC G10028
198163NSIDC G10028
1982188NSIDC G10028
19831,352NSIDC G10028
19842,202NSIDC G10028
19851,063NSIDC G10028
1986204NSIDC G10028
1987318NSIDC G10028
1988187NSIDC G10028
1989301NSIDC G10028
1990793NSIDC G10028
19911,974NSIDC G10028
1992876NSIDC G10028
19931,753NSIDC G10028
19941,765NSIDC G10028
19951,432NSIDC G10028
1996611NSIDC G10028
19971,011NSIDC G10028
19981,380NSIDC G10028
199922NSIDC G10028
2000843NSIDC G10028
200189NSIDC G10028
2002877NSIDC G10028
2003927NSIDC G10028
2004262NSIDC G10028
200511NSIDC G10028
20060NSIDC G10028
2007324NSIDC G10028
2008976NSIDC G10028
20091,204NSIDC G10028
20101NSIDC G10028
20113NSIDC G10028
2012499NSIDC G10028
201313NSIDC G10028
20141,546NSIDC G10028
20151,165NSIDC G10028
2016687NSIDC G10028
20171,008NSIDC G10028
2018208NSIDC G10028
20191,515NSIDC G10028
2020169NSIDC G10028
20211NSIDC G10028
202258Bulletin No. 108, CG-188-77
2023385Bulletin No. 109, CG-188-78
202422Bulletin No. 110, CG-188-79
2025250Bulletin No. 111, CG-188-80

When they come, when they don’t

Across the 1900–2021 record — the years with month-by-month counts — 57.9% of all crossings happened in April and May, and 88.4% between March and June. A count at 48°N is not a berg in a bay: what reaches shore, and when, also depends on wind and current in the final weeks — which is why the viewing advice and the peak of the count are not the same weeks.

Oct: 0.2% of all recorded crossings, 1900–2021OctNov: 0.2% of all recorded crossings, 1900–2021NovDec: 0.2% of all recorded crossings, 1900–2021DecJan: 0.5% of all recorded crossings, 1900–2021JanFeb: 2.7% of all recorded crossings, 1900–2021FebMar: 13.6% of all recorded crossings, 1900–202113.6%MarApr: 26.4% of all recorded crossings, 1900–202126.4%AprMay: 31.4% of all recorded crossings, 1900–202131.4%MayJun: 16.9% of all recorded crossings, 1900–202116.9%JunJul: 5.6% of all recorded crossings, 1900–2021JulAug: 1.5% of all recorded crossings, 1900–2021AugSep: 0.5% of all recorded crossings, 1900–2021Sep
Share of all recorded crossings by month, 1900-2021 (the CSV years; the bulletin years publish annual totals only). The ice year starts in October, so the strip reads October through September. Green is the window to come for, late May and early June.

Where every number on this page comes from

  • Ice years 1900–2021: NSIDC G10028: International Ice Patrol Annual Count of Icebergs South of 48 Degrees North, 1900 to Present, Version 1, DOI 10.7265/z6e8-3027 — the committed CSV is the file as fetched 2026-09-01, and cited here as NSIDC requires.
  • Ice year 2022: 58 icebergs, a “Light” season — Bulletin No. 108, CG-188-77, checked 2026-09-01.
  • Ice year 2023: 385 icebergs, a “moderate” season — Bulletin No. 109, CG-188-78, checked 2026-09-01.
  • Ice year 2024: 22 icebergs, a “light” season — Bulletin No. 110, CG-188-79, checked 2026-09-01.
  • Ice year 2025: 250 icebergs, a “moderate” season — Bulletin No. 111, CG-188-80, checked 2026-09-01.
  • Severity buckets (light ≤ 230, moderate ≤ 1036, severe ≤ 1398, extreme above that): the IIP's own classification — Bulletin No. 111 (Report of the International Ice Patrol in the North Atlantic, 2025 Season), checked 2026-08-31.
  • Every statistic above is derived from these sources by a script committed beside the data, and the build fails if the two ever disagree. Nothing is typed in by hand, and we publish no forecast: this page is history, counted.
  • Canada keeps its own ice record: the Canadian Ice Service publishes daily iceberg analysis charts and seasonal outlooks — the live and official Canadian counterpart to the century of counts above. Linked, not mirrored: their charts change daily, and this page's whole promise is that it never pretends otherwise.

History gives you odds, not a forecast. The chart above counts icebergs in the shipping lanes, not at the shore, and no one publishes a pre-season forecast. It does show how often the season is heavy, how often it is nearly empty, and when in the year the ice comes.

Then decide where to stand: where to see icebergs near Gander has the province’s named viewing spots, with the measured drive to each.

Tell me when the icebergs arrive

Most of the year there are none. We'll email when the season looks worth the trip.

Sent by From the Airport, 582 St. Clair Ave W, Suite 326, Toronto, ON M6C 1A6, hello@fromtheairport.xyz. You can unsubscribe at any time. Signups are double opt-in: nothing counts until you click the confirmation email. The list lives with MailerLite, which handles delivery and unsubscribes; we store your address there and nowhere else. We send only the iceberg alert; if that ever changes, we will ask first.

Before you go

These change, so we link to the people who keep them up to date.

  • The live iceberg mapCheck the day you travel

    Iceberg Finder is the province-backed sightings map. It shows what is out there on the day; history does not.

    icebergfinder.com →

  • The IIP's daily pictureIn season, updated daily

    The International Ice Patrol, whose century of counts this page is built on, publishes a daily iceberg chart and bulletin for the shipping lanes.

    navcen.uscg.gov →

  • When to come, per the provinceLate May and early June suggested

    Newfoundland and Labrador Tourism's guidance is that April and May are the months when bergs are most plentiful, but they may be locked up in sea ice, so late May and early June are suggested for best viewing.

    newfoundlandlabrador.com →

Whales: when and where →

Questions

What are the odds of seeing an iceberg in Newfoundland?＋

There is no single number. The century-long count on this page is the closest thing to an answer: roughly two years in five are light seasons, and a heavy year and a light one differ enormously, from thousands of icebergs to, twice in the record, none at all. Check the chart, then check current sightings before you travel.

Can anyone forecast the iceberg season in advance?＋

No official forecast exists. The International Ice Patrol publishes daily charts in season and a retrospective count afterwards, but no pre-season outlook. Academic forecasting has been tried, with mixed published results, and offers no current public forecast. This page shows counted history only.

Does a heavy iceberg year guarantee I will see one?＋

No. The count is taken at 48°N, in the shipping lanes, not in the bays people watch from. In some years wind and current keep offshore bergs from the coast. A heavy year improves your odds; nothing guarantees them.

Where should I go to actually see one?＋

The province names its more popular viewing spots. Our guide to icebergs near Gander covers the ones within reach of the airport, including Twillingate, Fogo Island and Change Islands, with the measured drive to each.

Every figure on this page was checked against its source on September 1, 2026.

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