That would cut access to the ocean for penguin and seal parents, who make trips into the water to fill up on fish and krill to feed their young. There is also a possibility of the iceberg getting lodged in the island's shoreline, where it could stay there for 10 years. NOAA GOESĪ68a first broke off from an Antarctic ice shelf in 2017 and had been drifting ever since.Īs it headed towards South Georgia Island, scientists worried that it would completely destroy the island's underwater shelf and marine life.
Iceberg A68a (left) and South Georgia Island (right) as seen by satellite on December 14, 2020. In the last few weeks, the iceberg, dubbed A68a, came dangerously close to South Georgia Island in the south Atlantic, threatening to cut off vital ocean access for the island's penguin and seal population. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.Īn iceberg the size of Delaware, which was on course to crash into an island populated by a penguin colony, has broken into two pieces, scientists tracking its journey said on Friday. The iceberg, which was the size of Delaware, threatened to cut off vital ocean access for the island's penguin and seal population.Įven though the iceberg has broken apart, scientists still worry that the larger piece could still hit the island, and endanger its inhabitants. It was only 31 miles away from the shores of the island. Strong underwater currents caused the iceberg, dubbed A68a, to pivot nearly 180 degrees before splitting apart. Reuters/Getty ImagesĪ massive iceberg bound for South Georgia Island, which is populated by millions of penguins, has broken into two pieces, scientists tracking its journey said on Friday. The iceberg (L) is headed for South Georgia Island, which is home to millions of penguins.
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