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Ships in the Southern Ocean were warned during December to watch out for an iceberg twice the size of Hong Kong island.

The ice monster was identified by satellite after two smaller bergs were discovered off Australia’s Macquarie Island recently, the AFP news agency reported.

The chunk – with a surface area of 140km2 – is thought to have broken off from the Antarctic ice sheet 10 years ago, according to glaciologist Neal Young from the Australian Antarctic Division.

Ice could pose a threat to shipping as larger pieces break up in warmer waters, making the ice harder to spot. The giant berg is thought to have broken off from an even more larger chunk a year ago. During December it was some 1,600km off Australia’s West Coast, drifting north. The ice mountain is followed by a floe containing more than 100 smaller chunks, which is heading for New Zealand.

More on this and other news in Sea Breezes Magazine - February 2010 Issue
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