The world’s largest iceberg runs in front of the South Georgia Island, Pingüinos Paradise

The largest and oldest iceberg in the world, the A23amay have reached the end of its trip: it has spinned into the shallow waters surrounding the Island Georgia del Sur, a paradise for Antarctic fauna that houses one of the largest colonies of penguin king of the planet.

The A23A Colossus, which measures about 3,200 square kilometers and weighs almost a billion tons, detached from the Antarctica Filchner ice platform in 1986 and remained stranded in the seabed of the Weddell Sea for more than 30 years before starting its slow trip north in 2020 until it ends in front of Georgia del Sur.

Now, satellite images show that the ‘megaberg’ has been embarked about 90 kilometers from the island, On the southwest coast. Scientists expect the warmest waters, combined with the action of waves and tides, make the huge portion of ice It breaks in smaller icebergs And finally it melts.

«If the iceberg remains on land, we do not expect it to significantly affect the local wildlife of Georgia del Sur. In recent decades, the numerous icebergs that end up taking this route through the southern ocean They soon break, disperse and melt »Explains Andrew Meijers, oceanographer of the British Antarttic Survey, in a statement. However, they will have to continue watching it, since although most likely it is broken, it is “practically impossible to predict it.”

Also the effects that can have on fauna They still raise debate. «It will be interesting to see what will happen now. From a scientific perspective, we are interested in seeing how the iceberg will affect the local ecosystem, ”says Meijers.

On the one hand, the iceberg can affect normal food routes of seals and penguins living on this island Wildlife. «I could force adults to spend more energy to travel around the iceberg. This could reduce the amount of food that reaches offspring and chicks on the island, and therefore increase mortality, ”acknowledges the oceanographer. It already happened in 2004, in the Sea of ​​Ross, where another iceberg affected the reproductive success of the penguins.

But on the other hand, you can also have your good side: Iceberg contains many trapped nutrients that when the ice is melted, they will be available for the seals and penguins of the area, facilitating an explosion of life.

For those who are not good news is for fishermen. Commercial fishing has been affected in the past and, as the iceberg breaks into smaller pieces, it could make fishing operations in the S areaEAN more difficult and potentially dangerous.