Icebergs in Cape May
Those living on the Delaware Bay have been experiencing something not seen since 2018, icebergs or rather, massive chunks of ice, float into the Delaware Bay.
It’s a rare phenomenon, but this winter, South Jersey found itself on the frontlines of a stunning natural event: the sudden appearance of ice floes in the bay.
Icebergs In Cape May
These unusual visitors didn’t arrive by ship or helicopter—they were carried southward on the tidal currents and cold winds, marking an extraordinary sight for both locals and wintertime adventurers.
The idea of an iceberg in the Delaware Bay might sound like something out of a movie, but it’s very real and worth witnessing firsthand.
While Delaware Bay is not exactly the first place most people think of when imagining icebergs, extreme weather patterns can make this event possible.
The bay is a mix of saltwater and freshwater from the Delaware River, and during especially cold winters, conditions align for ice to form.
A combination of factors—intense cold fronts, strong winds, and freshwater runoff—can lead to the formation of large ice floes, which are essentially floating sheets of ice that can drift across the bay.
These ice formations often travel southward, propelled by the strong winds and tides that influence the area.
The appearance of ice in this part of the bay is not common, but when it happens, it can be breathtaking.
The Wildwood Video Archive decided to take advantage of the rare opportunity and explore the icy spectacle ourselves. We drove over to Sunset Beach in Cape May (Lower Township), to give you a tour and some sandpiper footage (our Seagull is out of commission right now)
You can watch our video at the bottom of this article.
Also See: Mad Viking Dock Bar & Grill Coming Soon to Cape May Harbor
Ice in this section of Delaware Bay was largely due to the curve of the South Jersey peninsula.
This curve acts as a natural barrier, trapping the ice and allowing it to accumulate and thicken over time. With temptress dropping down to as low as 18 degrees, this was the perfect area for the ice to grow.
Some of the ice floes looked like enormous white sculptures, their shapes constantly shifting with the movement of the water. Seagulls were just hanging out on them as they passed by.
Other pieces of the ice were getting pushed up on to the shorelines revealing that some pieces were about five inches thick.
For those planning to visit these ice packs in the future, here is my warning. DO NOT walk out on the ice. While it looks like it could be stable, it is far from it.
In the past some folks were able to walk out to the Concrete Ship. It is strongly advised not to do things like that as you could fall in and get stuck under the ice.
Have you ever seen ice in the Delaware Bay? Let us know if you’ve had the chance to experience this rare event!
Below is our video. Before you watch please subscribe!