Iceberg hunting? New app is right up your Alley

From the back of a CBC van, Brandi Gosse is navigating our route by following a treasure … app.

"So, you're going to turn right…"

Gosse is getting directions from her phone, which is running an app called Iceberg Alley. We take the turn she called for, towards the harbour in Brigus, Conception Bay.

Suddenly, three small icebergs burst into view, right where the app said they would be.

Gosse is an app developer with her own company, AppAds Promotions. She's created apps for businesses, schools and municipalities, but the Iceberg Alley app was her own initiative.

To see the app in action, watch the video below.

"The goal is to make it easier for residents and visitors to experience icebergs and whales, which are big attractions in the province but of course, they're constantly moving," Gosse said.

"So people who are using the Iceberg Alley app will be able to help each other find the best locations to see the icebergs and whales by posting their sightings."

Fixing the frustrations

Using the app is as easy as snapping a picture, entering a location and short description, then your post is added to the sightings map. There's also a newsfeed section, where you can quickly see the latest posts.

Gosse hopes the app can fix one of the big frustrations of iceberg hunting.

"I know myself, when I've gone looking for icebergs, I might have heard of an iceberg during the week and I'll think, I'll check that out on the weekend. And when I get there, it's not there or it's moved too far out and I can't see it anymore," she said.

Iceberg Alley is free to download on Apple's App Store and Google Play. So far it has a few hundred downloads, many from Newfoundland and Labrador, but also from across Canada, Asia, the United States and other parts of the world.

"It seems like everyone has their phone with them, it's the easiest way to find things, so having something like this is kind of like new technology in our rural little province." Gosse said.

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