The BIG Chill: 'GMA' Takes the Plunge in Finland
March 13, 2009 — -- After visiting the home of the world's tallest skyscraper, the globe's biggest city, the largest rainforest and the biggest castle, what's a fitting end to "Good Morning America's" BIG series?
Try the residence of the biggest ice hotel, and a place where massive ice-breaking ships are deployed to keep frozen harbors open so imports and exports can flow. Finland offers more than just frozen tundra.
Click here to learn about life from the Finns.
Each year the tourists flock to the tiny city of Kemi to visit the Sampo. The world's biggest icebreaker was built in 1960, and the ship was retired from service 21 years ago.
The Sampo is the only ship in Europe on which visitors can experience the thrill of crashing through ice as thick as 50 feet in the coldest winters thanks to tourists cruises on the ship.
From November until the ice breaks up in April, travelers come from around the globe to get a look at the Sampo.
But Finland's ice-breaking ships aren't just a tourist attraction; the nation has a fleet of eight for their critical function.
Ice-breaking ships work in two ways: One is to crush the ice by the pure weight of the ship and the other is to pound the frozen water by moving the enormous vessels back and forth to slam into the blocks of ice like a battering ram.
If the sea is so cold that thick layers of ice form atop it, imagine how frigid the water beneath must be. That shivering thought didn't stop "Good Morning America" anchor Diane Sawyer from taking a plunge into the Baltic Sea.
Click here to see Diane's frigid dip.
Armed with a special suit that allows visitors to bob in the icy water while keeping them safe from the chill, Diane dived into the sea, which registered at a glacial one degree.
The classroom science successes may explain, in part, why Finland's economy is driven by technology. The country, which is big on electronics and telecommunication companies, is home to Nokia.
"We are at our strongest when we are between the rock and a hard place," said Nokia chairman Jorma Ollila. "Historically, Finland was one of the first countries to adopt technology. So, if you look at electricity one year after its invention, Finland has electric power and light. One year after the invention, we had telephones in the 1880s. We always adopt technologies early and are very savvy with technology."
