On Air Now

Darren Lethem

6:00pm - 10:00pm

  • 01723 336444

Now Playing

World's largest iceberg on crash course with island, putting millions of penguins in danger

The world's largest iceberg is on a collision course with the British territory of South Georgia - potentially putting millions of penguins and seals in danger. 

The trillion-tonne slab of ice, named A23a, broke free from its position last month and started drifting northwards.

The "megaberg" - which is twice the size of Greater London and 130 feet tall - is expected to approach the remote island off Antarctica in the next two to four weeks.

Experts fear for the island's rich wildlife. If the iceberg gets wedged in the shallow waters close to the island, it could block vital pathways for penguins to get food for themselves and their chicks.

This would mean parent penguins would have to swim further, burning more energy and bringing back less to feed their offspring.

That could "dramatically increase mortality rates" among penguins, according to British Antarctic Survey physical oceanographer Andrew Meijer - something that has happened in the past.

He examined the "colossal " iceberg up close in December 2023 when it drifted past the research ship RRS Sir David Attenborough.

"It's a huge wall, a Game of Thrones-style wall of ice that towers above the ship," he said.

"South Georgia is an amazingly ecologically rich island. It's a breeding ground for a huge number of penguins, millions of penguins and seals," Mr Meijers said.

"There's lots of pups and chicks and they're all still dependent on their parents."

While the A23a represents a threat to the penguin colony on South Georgia, it doesn't pose a greater risk to the overall penguin populations, University of Colorado ice scientist Ted Scambos said.

"The whole ecosystem in the Southern Ocean is very resilient to these events," he wrote. "It has evolved with these icebergs being a factor for hundreds of thousands of years."

Read more from Sky News:
All the cancellations and closures caused by Storm Eowyn
Sainsbury's to cut over 3,000 jobs - with all cafes to close

The iceberg started moving for the first time in more than three decades in November 2023, scientists said.

Before then, it had largely been stranded after its base became stuck on the floor of the Weddell Sea.

Eventually, the A23a will break up into smaller icebergs and melt as icebergs do, Mr Meijers said.

Icebergs breaking off is normal, but it is happening more frequently as the climate warms and more fresh water flows into the ocean, Mr Meijers said.

Sky News

(c) Sky News 2025: World's largest iceberg on crash course with island, putting millions of penguins in danger

Did you find this article useful?

This is the Coast is committed to providing a daily local news service for the Yorkshire Coast. We are a small locally owned and operated business which employs professional journalists and reporters. We do not receive any public funding or grants and we are entirely funded by our local commercial operations. We enjoy fabulous support from local businesses who work with us on their advertising and marketing campaigns, but the cost of providing high quality, well researched, fact checked local news coverage is significant.

If you appreciate what This is the Coast does, and would like to help support our journalism, please consider supporting us on a monthly basis today.

A small contribution from all our readers would really help support independent journalism for the Yorkshire Coast.

More from World News

Follow Us

Get Our Apps

Our Apps are now available for iOS, Android and Smart Speakers.

  • Available on the App Store
  • Available on Google Play
  • Just ask Amazon Alexa
  • Available on Roku

Today's Weather

  • Scarborough

    Medium-level cloud

    High: 9°C | Low: 1°C

  • Filey

    Medium-level cloud

    High: 9°C | Low: 1°C

  • Whitby

    Sunny intervals

    High: 9°C | Low: 1°C

  • Bridlington

    Medium-level cloud

    High: 10°C | Low: 1°C

  • Hornsea

    Sunny intervals

    High: 10°C | Low: 1°C

  • Driffield

    Medium-level cloud

    High: 9°C | Low: 1°C

News