Largest glacier calving ever filmed

Largest glacier calving event ever filmed

Last updated: May 25, 2020 at 2:46 am

The largest glacier calving event ever recorded took place on May 28, 2008, while Adam LeWinter and Director Jeff Orlowski were filming the Ilulissat Glacier, in Western Greenland, for the documentary film Chasing Ice. The calving event lasted 75 minutes and the glacier retreated 1.6 km (1 mile) across a calving face 5 km (3 miles) wide. The total height of the ice was about 915 m (3,000 feet), of which 90-120 m (300-400 feet) was visible above water, while the rest was underwater. As a tidewater glacier slowly slides toward the ocean, large pieces calve (break off) to form icebergs. Most tidewater glaciers calve above the surface resulting in a thunderous crash of ice into the ocean. Some tidewater glaciers calve underwater thus causing the iceberg to surge up to the surface from below. Water displaced during calving often produces huge waves or a local tsunami.

“It’s as if the entire lower tip of Manhattan broke off, except that the thickness, the height of it, is equivalent to buildings that are two and a half or three times higher.” — James Balog | Chasing Ice

—
EDITOR’S NOTE: The diver in the image below was photographed beside a growler, which is a fragment of ice roughly the size of a truck. The piece was originally part of an iceberg that was formed after a section of the Ilulissat Glacier calved into Disko Bay. Diving anywhere near a tidewater glacier is extremely dangerous and should never be attempted.

National Snow and Ice Data Center

UNESCO/IOC-NOAA | International Tsunami Information Center

Chasing Ice

The Greenland ice sheet photographed during a flight to Iceland. Photo © Jeffrey Gallant | Diving Almanac

"EXTREME DANGER. Do not walk on the beach. Death or serious injury may occur. Risk of sudden tsunami waves caused by calving icebergs." Ilulissat Icefjord in Greenland. Photo © Jeffrey Gallant | Diving Almanac

Path leading to the Ilulissat Icefjord in Greenland. Photo © Jeffrey Gallant | Diving Almanac

Icebergs stuck in the Ilulissat Icefjord after calving off of the Jakobshavn Isbræ glacier, in Greenland. Photo © Jeffrey Gallant | Diving Almanac

Midnight sun and icebergs in Ilulissat, Greenland. Photo © Jeffrey Gallant | Diving Almanac

An iceberg off the coast of Greenland. Photo © Jeffrey Gallant | Diving Almanac

The M/V Cape Race encounters an iceberg in Disko Bay (Qeqertarsuup tunua), near Ilulissat, Greenland. Photo © Jeffrey Gallant | Diving Almanac

Françoise Gervais examining a growler near the village of Ilimanaq in Disko Bay, Greenland. Photo © Jeffrey Gallant | Diving Almanac

A fata morgana mirage of icebergs in Disko Bay, Greenland. Photo © Jeffrey Gallant | Diving Almanac

Please note that comments are moderated: (1) Stay on topic (2) Be respectful (3) Refrain from vulgarity and abusive language (4) Do not make personal complaints about a person’s character, business, work or associations (5) Do not publish materials that violate copyright. OFFENDING COMMENTS WILL BE DELETED.

If you have claim to a diving or underwater record or first, if you know of a significant first or record not listed here, or if you can demonstrate that any of the information on this website is false or outdated, please complete the form on the record submission page.

In order to ensure your browsing experience is as enjoyable as possible, banners are kept to an absolute minimum, which means that advertising revenues alone cannot sustain this 100% FREE publication. Researching and updating the Diving Almanac requires a lot of time and dedication. If you believe the diving community needs a central body of information to record, validate and make available our shared history and accomplishments, please show your support by making a contribution to the Diving Almanac via PayPal (Porbeagle Press). Thank you!

First to dive the Five Deeps

By Jeffrey Gallant

Victor Vescovo was the first human to dive to the deepest point in each of the Earth's oceans using the deep submergence vehicle [...]

Deepest submersible dive (Solo | Men)

By Jeffrey Gallant

10,925 m (35,843 ft) — Victor Vescovo (USA) aboard the DSV Limiting Factor (Triton 36000/2 model submersible) | Five Deeps Expedition, April 28, 2019 [...]

Deepest fish (Observed)

By Jeffrey Gallant

The Swire's snailfish (Pseudoliparis swirei) was captured on video at the depth of 8,178 m (26,831 ft) in 2017. This species, more commonly referred to as the Mariana snailfish [...]

Deepest diving submersible (In service)

By Jeffrey Gallant

The DSV Limiting Factor dived four times to the bottom of the Challenger Deep in April-May 2019, including the deepest dive ever made by a submersible [...]

Deepest dive by a head of state

By Jeffrey Gallant

5,109 m (16,762 ft) — HSH Prince Albert II accompanied Victor Vescovo to the deepest point of the Mediterranean Sea, the Calypso Deep, on [...]

Deepest watch (Prototype)

By Jeffrey Gallant

10,925 m (35,843 ft) — Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean Ultra Deep Professional. Two of the Omega timepieces were strapped to the manipulator [...]

Deepest point in Earth’s oceans

By Jeffrey Gallant

10,994 m (36,070 ft) — The Challenger Deep, located in the Mariana Trench, 250 miles (400 km) southwest of Guam in the Pacific Ocean, is the deepest [...]

Deepest submersible dive (Ocean)

By Jeffrey Gallant

10,925 m (35,843 ft) — Victor Vescovo (USA) aboard the DSV Limiting Factor (Triton 36000/2 model submersible) | April 28, 2019 | Challenger Deep [...]

Oldest diver (Men)

By Jeffrey Gallant

99 — William Lambert (USA) celebrated his 99th anniversary with a birthday dive in Pearl Lake, Illinois, on September 5, 2019. He remained at the depth of 9.7 m (32 ft) for 20 minutes [...]

Fastest drift dive

By Jeffrey Gallant

17.68 knots (32.74 km/h / 20.34 mph) — Sechelt Rapids (Skookumchuck Narrows), British Columbia, Canada. It is estimated that for a 3.6 m (12 ft) tide, 757 billion litres of seawater flow [...]

Largest jellyfish

By Jeffrey Gallant

Lion’s mane jellyfish (Cyanea capillata) — The largest individuals have a bell diameter of 2.3 m (7.5 ft) with over 800 tentacles; some reaching lengths of 37 m (120 ft). Despite its [...]

Deepest octopus

By Jeffrey Gallant

Dumbo octopus (Grimpoteuthis) — 6957 m (22,825 ft), Java Trench (Indian Ocean). The octopus was remotely observed using an autonomous baited camera and trap lander in [...]

First documented case of hydrogen psychosis

By Jeffrey Gallant

Capt Steve Zissou suffered from the debilitating effects of Crazy Eye after witnessing the demise of his diving companion and partner, Esteban du Plantier [...]

Clearest water

By Jeffrey Gallant

80 m (262 ft) or the approximate visibility of distilled water. A few locations are claimed to equal the visibility of distilled water, including the Weddell Sea (Antarctica), New Zealand’s [...]

First underwater colony

By Jeffrey Gallant

1963 — Conshelf II (France). Seven divers lived underwater off Sha’ab Rumi (Sudan) in the Red Sea for one month under the supervision of Jacques-Yves Cousteau. The colony [...]

Most fin patents

By Jeffrey Gallant

Bob Evans (USA) — Since 1971, he has patented 33 revolutionary fin designs including the Force Fin Tan Delta (polyurethane) which is part of the permanent collections of the New York [...]