Claim to fame

BLOW ME DOWN - At long last, despite the occasional nay-sayer and the doubting Thomases, Twillingate can make the claim without fear of contradiction that it is indeed the "iceberg capital of the world".

The fantastic array of icebergs that have been on display at Blow Me Down over the past month and the hundreds and hundreds of visitors to the area over that period can vouch for it. A resident of nearby Lower Jenkins Cove who has lived there for some 80 years had never before witnessed such a spectacle, he informed The Pilot some days ago.

"I used to travel to the Labrador coast for some 50 years," he said, "and never saw it there either. This is just beyond belief!"

What helps make the sight so unusual, suggest the locals, is that the bergs - large and small - all came from the original immense iceberg that came to the area some couple of months past. By GPS and by radar, explained some of the local boatpeople, the original berg - that really resembled a huge ice pan - measured a minimum of 1700 feet in length. Then it foundered.

Another resident of Durrell advised The Pilot that he had heard the rumbling and cracking noise created by the foundering and had seen the commotion that it set up with huge pieces of ice breaking off, seemingly sinking and rising up out of the water to find their own equilibrium.

Meanwhile the waves and commotion created by the breaking up were unbelievable, he said.

Consequently, the icebergs that are now on show were directed by wind and tide to the area at Blow Me Down and because of continuing winds and only a relatively narrow passage for them to exit to the open sea, the bergs have stayed around as if enjoying the publicity.

To make the show even more meaningful for the hundreds of visitors who came to view on Sunday, July 12, the caplin rolled on the beach at Blow Me Down. It was a scene that would be difficult for Hollywood to re-create.

Coupled with excellent sunny, warm weather, the area was a veritable tourist Mecca. And vehicles of all description were drawn to the area as people heard of the sight and came to see for themselves - and stay awhile.

Traffic jam in Blow Me Down? Never thought we'd ever see it!