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The iceberg is moving towards the island. The lives of penguins and seals are at risk

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Iceberg A23a is on a collision course with South Georgia, a British island in the South Atlantic. If it hits it, animals like penguins and seals will die.

Iceberg A23a is located approximately 280 kilometers from South Georgia, reports the BBC. The island is home to many species of birds, as well as representatives of the seal family. Researchers fear that if A23a hits South Georgia, it will block access to bays and beaches that are breeding and feeding grounds for animals.

“Icebergs are inherently dangerous and pose a threat,” Simon Wallace, captain of the South Georgia government ship Pharos, told BBC News.

The island is one of the most important breeding areas for king penguins (Aptenodytes patagonicus), whose population is estimated at approximately 400,000 individuals. Golden-crested penguins also live there (Eudyptes chrysolophus). South Georgia is also the habitat of several species of seals: the southern myrungha (Mirounga leonina), leopard seal (Hydrurga leptonyx), subantarctic fur seal (Arctocephalus tropicalis), as well as Weddell seals (Leptonychotes weddellii).

Scientists, sailors and fishermen from all over the world carefully monitor the iceberg's path using satellite images.

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The largest iceberg in the world

Iceberg A23a broke away from the Ronne-Filchner Ice Shelf in Antarctica in 1986. For decades it remained “glued” to the bottom in the Weddell Sea. It was only in 2020 that a large block of ice began its journey across the Antarctic Ocean.

According to the BBC, A23a once covered an area of ​​3,900 square kilometers, but analysis of the latest satellite images shows that the mountain has shrunk. It currently covers an area of ​​approximately 3,500 square kilometers.

A23a visible at the top of the photo

Satellite image of mountain A23a, December 9, 2024A23a visible at the top of the photoNASA

A23a is not the first iceberg to threaten South Georgia. In 2004, a mountain called A38 became stuck on the island's continental shelf. It caused the death of thousands of penguin chicks, as well as young representatives of the seal family, because huge blocks of ice blocked their access to feeding grounds.

“South Georgia is in iceberg alley, so it's expected that they will impact fishing and wildlife there,” said Mark Belchier, a marine ecologist.

Main photo source: NASA



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