Among the floating ice sculptures in Newfoundland's Iceberg Alley | 7NEWS Spotlight

Summary

The documentary spotlights adventurer George Kourounis as he embarks on a daring expedition in Newfoundland's Iceberg Alley. Known for his extreme exploits, Kourounis plans to scale an iceberg to plant a satellite tracking beacon, studying its movements and melting patterns. These 10,000-year-old icebergs, often as massive as football stadiums, are dangerous due to shifting and breaking. The film highlights the importance of tracking icebergs for safety, especially against potential threats to ships and oil rigs. Kourounis' journey unfolds alongside input from experts like engineer Kelly Dodge, emphasizing both environmental phenomena and the spiritual interplay humans have with nature’s formidable creations.

Highlights

• George Kourounis dares to climb an iceberg, underscoring the peril and beauty of this rare adventure. 🧊
• Icebergs in Newfoundland, sculpted by nature, pose threats but also offer insights into climate patterns. 🌡️
• The documentary captures the dramatic and artistic interaction between man and nature. 🎥
• Tracking these massive ice giants aids in safeguarding ships and oil platforms from disastrous encounters. 🛳️
• Witness the fleeting grandeur of icebergs before they melt away, encapsulating impermanence and beauty. 🌊

Key Takeaways

• Adventurer George Kourounis climbs an iceberg in Newfoundland to plant a tracking beacon. 🧗‍♂️
• Icebergs in 'Iceberg Alley' are over 10,000 years old and can be as large as football stadiums. 🏔️
• These icebergs are not only artful but hazardous due to their unpredictable nature. ⚠️
• Tracking icebergs is crucial to avoid disasters, especially for shipping and oil rigs. 🚢
• Kourounis embodies the thrill of adventure, exploring nature's majestic yet ephemeral wonders. 🌏

Overview

Join explorer George Kourounis in an exhilarating expedition through Newfoundland’s Iceberg Alley as he attempts to conquer an icy giant. The documentary highlights his adventurous spirit as he scales an iceberg to install a tracking device, capturing the movement and melting process of these awe-inspiring natural wonders shaped over millennia.

Discover the fragile yet formidable nature of icebergs, with insights from experts like Kelly Dodge who emphasizes the necessity of tracking these ice colossi to prevent maritime disasters. These vast sculptures, not only a spectacle of beauty but also impending hazards, demand our attention and respect.

As the brisk sea air whips around, viewers are drawn into the majestic, transient world of the icebergs, where George’s escapade becomes a metaphor for life's fleeting beauty and unpredictability. Whether daring the elements or admiring from afar, this journey inspires a deeper reverence for nature's ever-changing masterpieces.

Chapters

• 00:00 - 00:30: Iceberg Hunting in Newfoundland The chapter 'Iceberg Hunting in Newfoundland' describes an expedition in one of the remotest places on Earth. The narrative focuses on George Coronas, an adventurer and modern-day explorer, who is about to embark on what might be considered a daring quest. The setting is introduced as beautiful, highlighting the striking natural scenery of Newfoundland as George prepares for his iceberg hunting adventure.
• 00:30 - 01:30: The Dangers of Climbing Icebergs "The Dangers of Climbing Icebergs" delves into the hazardous quest of an adventurer planning to leap onto an iceberg and attempt to scale it, despite the risks involved. It highlights the perilous nature of iceberg climbing — a feat the adventurer discourages others from trying due to its inherent dangers. In this daunting mission, his goal is to ascend the iceberg to its peak to plant a satellite tracking beacon, enabling him to monitor the iceberg's movements.
• 01:30 - 03:00: The Movement and Tracking of Icebergs This chapter explores the movement and tracking of icebergs, focusing on how they are influenced by ocean currents, winds, and tides. It uses the example of an iceberg off the coast of Newfoundland, in a region known as 'iceberg alley', to illustrate these concepts.
• 03:00 - 05:30: The Unpredictable Nature of Icebergs The chapter titled "The Unpredictable Nature of Icebergs" discusses the journey of icebergs from their formation to their eventual melting. It explains that some icebergs are estimated to be over 10,000 years old. They break off from glaciers in Greenland and are carried by ocean currents through the Canadian Arctic. Eventually, these icebergs drift off the coast of Newfoundland before melting into the sea. The chapter highlights the unique and unpredictable nature of icebergs as they travel and transform.
• 05:30 - 06:30: Exploring and Filming Icebergs Underwater The chapter discusses the size and instability of icebergs, comparing them to apartment buildings in size. Despite their massive size, icebergs are dangerous because they are unstable, constantly moving and potentially breaking apart. The chapter highlights the different ways icebergs can behave, including rocking, rolling, flipping, disintegrating, and even exploding. This instability poses significant dangers to anything nearby. An historic reference is made to an iceberg sinking what was considered an unsinkable ship.
• 06:30 - 09:00: The Experience of Climbing Icebergs The chapter titled 'The Experience of Climbing Icebergs' explores the creation of the International Ice Patrol following the Titanic disaster. The patrol is responsible for tracking iceberg locations to ensure safety by helping avoid them. The narrative introduces Kelly Dodge, an experienced engineer with two decades at C Corps. She leads a team of engineers and researchers dedicated to tracking icebergs, highlighting the ongoing importance and challenges of monitoring these natural phenomena.
• 09:00 - 12:00: Tracking Icebergs for Research This chapter discusses the importance of tracking icebergs for research and safety purposes. It highlights how tracking helps various maritime operations such as fishing vessels, cargo ships, and oil rigs to avoid potential dangers. The chapter notes that iceberg collisions with oil or gas rigs could lead to environmental disasters. It also mentions the strategies used to mitigate these risks, such as towing icebergs away or breaking them up. Additionally, advancements in tracking technology, including the use of aerial techniques, have significantly improved the ability to locate and monitor icebergs.
• 12:00 - 13:00: The Ephemeral Nature of Icebergs The chapter titled 'The Ephemeral Nature of Icebergs' delves into the methods used for tracking icebergs. It highlights the use of satellite reconnaissance, reports from ships, and information from individuals on shore as essential tools for gathering data. The chapter also touches upon the immense size of icebergs, illustrating this with a comparison to the length of a four-meter kayak.

Among the floating ice sculptures in Newfoundland's Iceberg Alley | 7NEWS Spotlight Transcription

• 00:00 - 00:30 we are iceberg hunting in one of the most remote places on the planet beautiful it really is beautiful this is Georges Coronas and he might just be crazy I haven't quite made up my mind all right George is an adventurer and modern-day Explorer and is about to go
• 00:30 - 01:00 where no one has gone before he's planning to jump onto this iceberg and then he's going to try to climb it climbing on an iceberg is one of the most dangerous things that I do this is something I can't really recommend people do and I'm gonna go on top climb up the iceberg as high as I can and then plant it satellite tracking beacon on the iceberg itself so then I can see how
• 01:00 - 01:30 this iceberg is moving with the currents the different winds and the shifting tides here to sort of get an idea of the movement of these birds very bad we're off the coast of Newfoundland the most easterly point of North America [Music] this stretch of wild ocean is known as iceberg alley' each floating ice
• 01:30 - 02:00 sculpture is estimated to be at least 10,000 years old these icebergs take a couple of years to travel down from Greenland they cap off of these glaciers they go to the Canadian Arctic they swirl around in the currents up there and then eventually drift down off the coast of Newfoundland and eventually out to sea where they melt icebergs are very particular because
• 02:00 - 02:30 they're huge they can be the size of apartment buildings but they're also unstable they want to move they want a rock and roll pieces always want to break off sometimes they flip or even disintegrate and literally some of them will explode so it's really dangerous dangerous also to anything that gets in their way not far from here an iceberg sank the unsinkable in the world's most
• 02:30 - 03:00 famous shipping disaster after the sinking of the Titanic the International Ice patrol was formed and that is a group that will monitor and track the location of icebergs it's very important for safety to know where they're located and to understand how to avoid them Kelly dodge is an engineer with C Corps and has been studying the icebergs for 19 years let's have a look at that Cimino knows she leads a team of engineers and researchers who track them
• 03:00 - 03:30 the information helps crews on fishing vessels cargo ships and oil rigs know when danger is approaching if an iceberg hits an oil or gas rig it could cause an environmental catastrophe when they get too close specialist crews either tow them away or break them up I think the difference nowadays is that we have much greater means to track and find out where they are so we use aerial
• 03:30 - 04:00 reconnaissance we use satellite reconnaissance we use ship information reports from individuals from shore so we have much more information available to us in order to track them to give you a sense of the size of that iceberg my kayaks about four meters long which makes that big chunk of
• 04:00 - 04:30 prehistoric ice look about the size of an apartment building but that's only what we can see 90% of it is below the surface which means it's actually about the size of a football stadium what lies beneath is just one reason they are so unpredictable and so dangerous captain Rick Stanley helps brave divers explore the underbelly of these floating Giants
• 04:30 - 05:00 how unstable our icebergs they are very unstable they're unpredictable you know I know enough about icebergs to know nothing about icebergs they are something that we don't know much about and the unknown is a big part of the attraction for Captain Rick he's been diving icebergs for decades and filmed this breathtaking underwater footage its sculpted by the sea and it's works of
• 05:00 - 05:30 art by mother nature diving around an iceberg or climbing one what's more dangerous it's way more dangerous to climb an iceberg than dive on an iceberg you have the water as your protector when you're underwater but if you're climbing on an iceberg and happens that the iceberg starts to explode well that's it it's lights out
• 05:30 - 06:00 it could be very catastrophic for anybody that's as close to them george kourounis knows the risks the host of TV show angering planet has been called a real-life Indiana Jones I've rappelled down inside active volcanoes I've been chasing tornadoes for 20 years drive into the eye of hurricanes basically any time that Mother Nature is
• 06:00 - 06:30 flexing her muscles and wants to maybe harm you I'm usually nearby with a camera rolling why we spend so much time going from our air-conditioned climate-controlled houses to our climate-controlled car to our climate and controlled jobs we spend very little time experiencing the true all of nature seeing something that's bigger and more powerful than you I'm ready and feeling the ground shake feeling the wind on your face being in the presence of these tremendous forces makes me feel humble
• 06:30 - 07:00 it makes me feel awe and it's it's like a drug I just keep coming back and this iceberg season he's found a fresh summit to be conquered how's it looking George I'm really liking the angle should people get onto this no problem every iceberg that you step on is likely a spot where no human has ever set foot 12 people have been on the surface of the Moon you step on an iceberg only one person's ever been there
• 07:00 - 07:30 we're off the coast of Canada with adventurer george kourounis every year between 400 and 800 icebergs reached this remote stretch of water known as iceberg alley' they've traveled thousands of kilometres across the open ocean here they will melt and disappear forever they're like fingerprints each
• 07:30 - 08:00 one is unique they all have their own almost a personality they're almost like they're living creatures this thing is melting really fast all this texturing all dissolved underwater and see how this little rivulets coming off and ripping this iceberg is melting before our eyes as they flip and roll they melt in different patterns when they break sometimes it sounds like a gunshot going off like a shotgun is cracking and of course all the pieces flashing
• 08:00 - 08:30 into the lawn and then once all the pieces of ice break off there are microscopic air bubbles hundreds sometimes thousands of year old and all of that air bubbles up to the surface and it sounds like champagne is this effervescence of ancient air that bubbles up all around the birds can see these bubbles coming up from underneath this is like the champagne bubbles that you described exactly it's like a giant champagne glass so you have this complete Symphony
• 08:30 - 09:00 from the crashing of the percussion to the gentle strings to just the choir in the background and it's just wonderful experience but the experience George has come here for is to go where no person has gone before or thorat ease discourage people from standing on the icebergs George insists no one should copy him comms are good he's gone too
• 09:00 - 09:30 painstaking lengths to make the climb as safe as possible all right there we go do you worry about whether you're gonna make it back alive yeah there are dangers but I try to be as safe as as possible to minimize the risk you can never eliminate risk but if it's my day then it's my day Wow the slope is so perfect really it looks pretty scary for me m8 George is a
• 09:30 - 10:00 little bit nuts now it excuse me he's a lot nuts we don't just put anybody have an iceberg when he gets off my boat he's Anna's own really we are there with safety divers ready to react but George is yeah he's pushing the envelope my big concern is slipping off of this thing because the ice is so brittle
• 10:00 - 10:30 don't lose your balance [Music] I'm just going up [Applause] [Music] the view up here is unbelievable got a 360 degree view of Conception Bay and it is a perfect beautiful day up here what
• 10:30 - 11:00 are you feeling when you're awful in aspect it's amazing these icebergs are so beautiful it's like climbing a sculpture mother nature's works of abstract art and for that brief moment in time when you're on it you have become part of that natural art exhibit in harmony with nature and becoming part of that iceberg even for that brief time that you're there alright ang I'm gonna place the beak in George is interested in tracking the
• 11:00 - 11:30 iceberg for research and mounts a beacon at the top he can trace its lifecycle and see how fast it's melting it's been a bumper season for icebergs this year is that evidence of global warming well it's hard to see it's it's hard to pin any one single iceberg season on climate change or global warming it's it's only one data point in a long series of data points and by averaging them and looking
• 11:30 - 12:00 at trends over multiple years and decades then we can get a really good idea but certainly there's value in each data point slow and steady we're starting to see more of these extreme events we're seeing more floods we're seeing more droughts and we're also seeing changes in the icebergs that are coming off of Greenland before we head off I have my own close
• 12:00 - 12:30 encounter with his ancient creation credible George that's amazing the first and probably last time I'll ever touch an iceberg Oh hopefully not last after we left the iceberg rolled and within days George's tracking equipment revealed it had completely vanished as much as I love these icebergs I know that they're all gonna melt their temporary constructs and so you have to really just appreciate the moment that's a
• 12:30 - 13:00 great thing about icebergs is that they forced you to think about the past appreciate the present and understand that nothing in this life is permanent enjoy what you see in front of you at the time and then just let it go [Music] you