In the western part of Greenland, Adam LeWinter and Jeff Orlowski were part of a team documenting glaciers for the film crew of Orlowski’s documentary, Chasing Ice. It was May 2008, and their cameras were set up to capture the Ilulissat Glacier. After spending several days observing the glacier, something extraordinary unfolded before their eyes. They happened to be in the right place at the right time to witness and record the largest glacier calving ever captured on video.
The day started off uneventfully for the glacier-watching team. When they checked in with their colleagues over the phone, there was little to report, except for some windy conditions. However, as the day progressed, things took an incredibly exciting turn. Perched on the side of a mountain, facing Greenland’s Ilulissat Glacier, LeWinter and Orlowski witnessed an unprecedented glacier calving event. They managed to film this remarkable occurrence, which would go down in history as the biggest one ever caught on camera. Glacier calving involves the breaking away of massive ice chunks from the edge of a glacier, leading to the formation of new icebergs.
Over a span of 75 minutes, as documented by Guinness World Records, the Ilulissat Glacier calved chunks of ice, causing the glacier’s size to shrink by an area measuring three miles wide and one mile across. Moreover, the resulting icebergs and the glacier itself towered to a height of approximately 3,000 feet, with the majority of it submerged underwater. The footage reveals the cracking and shifting of the snow-covered ice, resembling an avalanche. The roaring and cracking sounds accompanied by the sight of rolling waves attempting to engulf the newly-formed icebergs create a breathtaking spectacle. The sheer magnitude of these icebergs has been compared to the rise and fall of skyscrapers in Manhattan.
To this day, the video footage captured from a mountain in western Greenland remains awe-inspiring and holds the record for the largest glacier calving ever recorded on video, as recognized by the Earth Vision Institute and the 2016 Guinness Book of World Records. The footage became a part of the documentary film Chasing Ice. LeWinter and Orlowski not only witnessed this jaw-dropping event but also shared it with the world, showcasing the astonishing, terrifying, and mind-boggling power of nature.
If you had heard about this incredible event, when did you first learn about it, and what was your reaction? Can you even fathom being on that mountain, experiencing this phenomenon firsthand? Share your thoughts and make sure to let others know about this remarkable occurrence too!
