In a recently video from Ilimanaq, Greenland, the breathtaking moment a giant iceberg cracked and plummeted into the freezing sea was captured on camera.
The massive impact triggered a spectacular splash, generating a “massive wave”—or so that’s what they called it—that surged outward from the ice face.
Take a look and judge for yourself.
While it is certainly not the biggest wave we’ve seen from falling ice—last year, a landslide of rock and ice in Greenland’s Dickson Fjord famously triggered a 650-foot mega-tsunami—this recent calving footage remains an awe-inspiring reminder of nature’s raw power.
This dramatic phenomenon is known as glacier calving. It occurs when massive chunks of ice break away from the edge of a glacier during the summer melt and crash into the water below. The sudden displacement of thousands of tons of ice creates localized, unpredictable surges often referred to as glacier tsunamis.
For a fringe group of extreme surfers, these erratic waves are the ultimate prize. Chasing glacier waves means trading tropical swells for freezing temperatures, floating debris, and unpredictable calving events.
“When waves are formed in the ocean, they can travel thousands of miles then release all their energy on the shore,” explained professional surfer Blair Conklin, who recently sought out glacier tsunami waves. “At this particular glacier, it can take 400 years or more for that snowflake to reach the end of the glacier, to where it cracks into the ocean. You’re riding a form of energy that has been stored for hundreds, if not thousands, of years.”
Greenland has quickly become a new frontier for this niche pursuit. Portuguese surfer Eurico Romaguera recently made history by becoming the first person to score actually epic calving glacier waves in Greenland’s icy fjords.
As ocean temperatures continue to shift, these awe-inspiring calving events may become more frequent. For now, most surfers are happy to leave the frigid, unpredictable glacier waves to the few brave thrill-seekers who dare to hunt them down.
Related: Collapsing Greenland Glacier Sends Giant Tsunami Wave Crashing into Tour Boat (Video)
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