Written by Alain Lagacé
You dream of seeing and photographing polar bears, icebergs, discovering the magnificent landscapes of the Arctic Cordillera and you don’t really know where to go? So, here are a few things that make the north coast of Labrador a unique place in the world to see polar bears and icebergs.
Icebergs
On the Labrador Coast icebergs are everywhere. These mountains of floating ice come mainly from the glaciers of West Greenland, where they drift south for years on the Iceberg Alley.
To see a giant iceberg for the first time is simply magical! You will not believe your eyes so much that these masses of ice can be gigantic. Seeing icebergs from the air is a breathtaking spectacle that pleases polar landscape photographers. It is also the best way to photograph them from their best angles and capture their colors. We can also observe them from the shore where sometimes they come to run aground, then the spectacle is memorable.
There are icebergs of all shapes - tubular, dome, needle, arch, eroded ..., they are true stars of the splendid pictures of the polar regions. Depending on the time of day, the angle of the sun and the depth of the water surrounding them, the brightness adds hues ranging from white to azure blue and emerald green.
The ideal time to observe them is between mid-July and mid-August. During this period in the Iceberg Alley you can count hundreds of adrift icebergs and sometimes there are thousands.
Polar bears
During the iceberg period and even a few weeks before on the north coast of Labrador you can also observe polar bears swimming in the sea and wandering on the islands and along the coast. This is the time of year when the Labrador coast is on the move. Polar bears during this period can be observed hunting birds on the cliffs that overlook the sea and sometimes they can even be seen hunting Arctic char in shallow streams and rivers. During this period, female bears spend a lot of time on the ground raising their young. We can see them walking on the tongues of snow and sometimes even see them chasing lemmings under the stones.
The period between mid-July and mid-August offers excellent opportunities to photograph polar bears and icebergs and the ideal weather to visit the fjords and other natural wonders of northern Labrador.
Polar Bears and Icebergs of Labrador - Photo Safari
For more information or to book:
Alain Lagacé - alain@goldenpeninsulatours.com