Most of the media is referring to the massive slab of ice that has broken off the Western Antarctic Pine Island glacier as an “iceberg.” At 277 square miles of solid ice, I think an ice island is a more accurate designation. British scientists from Sheffield and Southampton universities have been awarded a £50,000 grant for a six-month study to track the iceberg as it drifts northward. They will track it and try to predict its path using satellite data. There is real concern that the the ice island could be hazardous to shipping in the Southern Ocean.
Huge iceberg adrift in Southern Ocean after calving from Pine Island Glacier
The volume of shipping in the Southern Ocean seems to usually consist of the Japanese Whaling Fleet and the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society vessels during the whaling season. Be interesting to know just what other vessels there are that might be affected by Antarctic icebergs.
Good Watch.
Between the VLCC and Capesized fleets there are still a few thousand ships which poke their bows into higher latitudes. You are right that most do not go any farther south than they have to.
Indeed! If one goes around the South Island of New Zealand that is only 48° South Latitude and from personal experience sailing with USS Co.of NZ is mostly cold and miserable. On the other side passage around the Cape Horn is at 58° South Latitude. (up here Newfoundland lies between 45°/50° North Latitude). Both are not really “higher latitudes” and the Media remarks about “endangering shipping” seem mostly for dramatic effect or more likely with the Media confusing shipping routes of the northern latitudes and southern latitudes.
Good Watch.