There is no question of a high-speed collision. At a rate of about one meter every five seconds, the iceberg is approaching the island of South Georgia in the South Atlantic, 1,400 kilometers east of the Falkland Islands.
Within two to four weeks, scientists predict that the iceberg, which is larger than Gotland, could hit the bottom and get stuck. Such a scenario would have serious consequences for both penguins and seals and their foraging around the island, according to Andrew Meijers, an oceanographer at Britain’s National Institute for Antarctic Research (BAS).
– The iceberg can block paths to food, which means that the animals have to swim longer and burn more energy, and then come back with less food for the young, he says.
– When icebergs have run aground there in the past, it has led to widespread death among penguin chicks and seal pups, he continues.
Andrew Meijers points out that it is still difficult to predict where the iceberg will eventually go.
If the giant block gets stuck on the island, scientists believe it will fortunately have no long-term consequences for wildlife on South Georgia, which is home to one of the world’s largest marine protected areas.
Broke away in 1986
The huge iceberg, whose official name is A23a, broke free from the edge of Antarctica back in 1986. After rapidly sinking, it broke loose a few years ago and has recently picked up speed thanks to currents and wind.
Unlike other icebergs, A23a has not broken up into smaller pieces, but has retained large parts of its structure throughout its life cycle.
“Eventually, this big iceberg will split up and melt, like icebergs do,” says Andrew Meijers.