The world’s largest iceberg is on a collision course with a remote British island, potentially putting penguins and seals at risk.
The iceberg, A23a, broke free from its position north of the South Orkney Islands last month and is now heading towards South Georgia, where it could crash into the island.
Researchers tracking the iceberg’s movements said it was around 173 miles away from the island, a wildlife haven known for its colonies of Emperor Penguins.
If A23a, which is double the size of Greater London and weighs nearly a trillion tonnes, crashes into the island, it could cause the death of countless seals and birds by preventing them from feeding on the island’s coves and beaches, researchers said.
Speaking to the BBC, sea captain Simon Wallace said: “Icebergs are inherently dangerous. I would be extraordinarily happy if it just completely missed us.”
A23a broke off from Antarctica’s Filchner Ice Shelf in 1986, and remained grounded on the seabed in the Weddell Sea for over 30 years before beginning its slow journey north in 2020.
For months, the iceberg was trapped by rotating water currents, which kept it spinning in one place.
But in December, it broke free, beginning its journey into the Southern Ocean following the Antarctic Circumpolar Current, driving it towards South Georgia in the sub-Antarctic.
It is not the first huge iceberg to threaten South Georgia and the nearby Sandwich Islands.
In 2004, an iceberg called A38 broke off from its continental shelf, with the massive ice chunks blocking feeding access for penguin chicks and seal pups.
A23a could encounter warmer water and break up into smaller icebergs as it makes its way towards South Georgia.
But these chunks could also cause a problem for sailors and fishermen in the area who have to be constantly vigilant to avoid hitting them.
Giant icebergs are also more likely to become more common because of climate change.
As ocean temperatures become warmer, Antarctica becomes more unstable, with more giant ice sheets breaking away from the continental shelf.
