A record number of icebergs are floating in the North Atlantic – including 450 near the Grand Banks of Newfoundland – forcing vessels to slow down to 3 knot speeds or take long detours around the area. The Coast Guard reports that an average of only 80 icebergs are found there this time of year. The large picture at the top shows an iceberg near where the Titanic hit one on April 14, 1912; there would be no problem sighting this one in time to avoid a disaster. Now, instead of taking the Great Circle route across the North Atlantic, many ships are heading on a 350-nm detour to avoid the ice.
Meanwhile, a 150-foot tall iceberg is drawing tourists and causing traffic jams in the small Newfoundland town of Ferryland, pictured above.
