From Sea Ice to Icebergs 🌎🌊 Traveling from Fort Ross to Tay Bay, the One Ocean crew enc…
From Sea Ice to Icebergs 🌎🌊
Traveling from Fort Ross to Tay Bay, the One Ocean crew encountered towering formations of ice — much larger than the sea ice we had previously seen. Suspecting these were our first icebergs, we sent photos to polar ice scientist Harry Stern, who confirmed our suspicions. Harry has long been a valuable resource, helping us navigate northern waters with his expertise, satellite imagery, and deep knowledge of polar ice.
The ice we encountered began to reflect the surrounding landscape. We moved from flat tundra and relatively “short” sea ice to dramatic, mountainous terrain and towering glaciers. Sea ice and glaciers differ in origin: sea ice forms from frozen seawater and remains a surface phenomenon, while glaciers are land-based. Icebergs, which are made of freshwater, calve — or break off — from glaciers or ice shelves into the ocean.
According to Harry, the icebergs we encountered most likely originated from the Humboldt and/or Petermann glaciers in northwest Greenland. Along with thermal expansion, melting glaciers are one of the top contributors to global sea level rise.
As we departed Pond Inlet, massive glaciers stretched along our port side, seemingly congratulating us on completing the Northwest Passage. Their towering forms and intricate textures were nothing short of mesmerizing — a breathtaking sight that also signaled the start of a new navigational challenge.
