Iceberg As Big As Office Tower Spotted By Canadian Navy Ship During Arctic Training Operation

An iceberg as huge as an office tower was seen by the crew members of HMCS Harry DeWolf this week. The vessel is reportedly sailing north to Operation Nanook, a defence training activity in the Arctic.

The ship’s crew members first noticed the iceberg when it was about 30 km away.

That was like observing Citadel Hill from the Halifax Stanfield airport’s tarmac.

It was so gigantic that there was also a small weather system at the tip, explained the navy’s Cmdr. Guillaume Côté. He is the commanding officer of HMCS Harry DeWolf. He discussed with CBC News via a satellite connection while the vessel passed via the Labrador Sea on the way to Iqaluit.

With humidity in the air, the iceberg was extremely cold and created its clouds. So it looked as if the tip of the iceberg was in shadows, he mentioned. It was approximately 25/26-storeys tall.

French and American vessels join the training.

The vessel’s first stop will be Iqaluit, but it will explore other parts of the Arctic zone. It will be part of training exercises along with other allied vessels.
There are vessels from the US Navy and Coast Guard, mentioned Cmdr. Côté. Besides, there is also a France-based patrol craft that has the mandate they have.

According to him, from a military viewpoint, the Canadian Arctic is not a zone of operation where they have much experience, except for the last few years.

The crew from across Canada

HMCS Harry DeWolf was successfully delivered to the Royal Canadian Navy in 2020 and was the first vessel launched as part of the national shipbuilding technique.

The vessel has participated in Operation Nanook’s sovereignty activities in earlier years. In 2021, it also circumnavigated North America — traversing north around the Arctic, down the West Coast, via the Panama Canal, and back up again.

While the ship’s captain has experience in faraway northern regions, this is his first time in Canadian Arctic.

Scientific study is also underway.

Along with the military members, there is space on the vessel for scientists.

There is also an Arctic ice specialist on board, stated Côté. So there is a chance to close in on an iceberg, send a small boat, and have the ice specialist take observations and do scientific research.

Per military officials, Op Nanook is duly scheduled to last for the coming three weeks. For about two months, the deployment will perceive HMCS Harry DeWolf in the region.

References: CBC, 6do

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