More than 100, and possibly hundreds, of Antarctic icebergs are floating towards New Zealand in a rare event which has prompted a shipping warning, officials said on Monday.

An Australian Antarctic Division glaciologist said the ice chunks,
spotted by satellite photography, had passed the Auckland Islands and
were heading towards the main South Island, about 450 kilometres (280
miles) northeast.

Scientist Neal Young said more than 100 icebergs – some measuring more
than 200 metres (650 feet) across – were seen in just one cluster,
indicating there could be hundreds more.

He said they were the remains of a massive ice floe which split from
the Antarctic as sea and air temperatures rise due to global warming.

“All of these have come from a larger one that was probably 30 square
kilometres (11.6 square miles) in size when it left Antarctica,” Young
told AFP.

“It’s done a long circuit around Antarctica and now the bigger parts of it are breaking up and producing smaller ones.”

He said large numbers of icebergs had not floated this close to New
Zealand since 2006, when a number came within 25 kilometres of the
coastline – the first such sighting since 1931.

“They’re following the same tracks now up towards New Zealand. Whether
they make it up to the South Island or not is difficult to tell,” Young
said.

New Zealand has already issued coastal navigation warnings for the area
in the Southern Ocean where the icebergs have been seen.

“It’s really just a general warning for shipping in that area to be on
the alert for icebergs,” said Maritime New Zealand spokesman Ross
Henderson.

The icebergs are smaller remnants of the giant chunks seen off
Australia’s Macquarie Island this month, including one estimated at two
kilometres (1.2 miles) and another twice the size of Beijing’s “Bird’s
Nest” Olympic Stadium.

Young earlier told AFP he expected to see more icebergs in the area if the Earth’s temperature continues to increase.

“If the current trends in global warming were to continue I would
anticipate seeing more icebergs and the large ice shelves breaking up,”
he said.

When icebergs last neared New Zealand in 2006, a sheep was helicoptered
out to be shorn on one of the floes in a publicity stunt by the
country’s wool industry.

Source: AFP

Search to find what you want

• Australia Shipping Notification of mighty icebergs

    Australian authorities Friday issued a shipping alert over a gigantic iceberg that is gradually approaching the country’s southwest coast. The Bureau of Meteorology said the once-in-a-century cliff of ice, which dislodged from Antarctica about a decade ago before drifting north, was being monitored using satellites. “Mariners are advised that at

• Iceberg alert for ships in the South Pacific Sailinlg

    New Zealand maritime officials have issued navigation warnings for ships sailing in the South Pacific in connection with hundreds of icebergs floating, believed to have split off the Antarctic ice shelves and drifting north toward the country’s southern shores, officials said Tuesday. “It is an alert to shipping to be

• Ships Put on Alert After icebergs drift towards New Zealand

     (foxnews)  A flotilla of hundreds of icebergs that split off Antarctic ice shelves is slouching toward New Zealand and could pose a risk to ships in the south Pacific Ocean, officials said Tuesday  Source

• CMA CGM accuses Europe / Oceania Prices

     CMA CGM said it is increasing rates in both directions between Europe and Australia-New Zealand. Southbound, from Europe to Australia and New Zealand, rates will rise $300 per TEU, while northbound from Australia and New Zealand to Europe, rates will rise $200 per TEU. The rate hikes go into effect Sept. 15. On

• Current CMA CGM improve rate: Europe, Australia and New Zealand

    French Container Line CMA CGM has announced an increase in freight rates in the Europe to Australia and New Zealand in order to “restore freight rates to a sustainable level.” The move follows in the footsteps of a similar rate hike on trade between India/Pakistan and Europe by the carrier

• Louis Vuitton launches new circuit

     (AP)  A new world circuit of America’s Cup-class yacht racing will start in November, making stops in New Zealand and Italy and featuring 10 teams.  Eight entries, including Emirates Team New Zealand and American syndicate BMW Oracle, have already been confirmed. Organizers said Tuesday the two others will be announced in days.  Source

• Asia-Pacific Express loses $ US3b in a downturn

    A major shipping company says the industry has lost $US3 billion in the Asia-Pacific region alone during the downturn, but New Zealand is holding up well. Jesper Praestensgaard, chief executive of the Maersk Line’s Asia-Pacific region, says in many ways shipping is a leading indicator of how the global economy

• Alinghi yacht airlifts over the Alps to the sea

     (AFP)  America’s Cup defender Alinghi began a spectacular airlift of its giant yacht from landlocked Switzerland over the Alps to the Mediterranean Sea on Friday, dangling beneath the world’s biggest helicopter.  After some two weeks of sailing on Lake Geneva, where it was built, the new 90 foot high tech catamaran is

• New Yachting Association Young Professionals In start in South Florida

     (superyachttimes)  Young Professionals in Yachting (YPY), a non-profit organization, has been formed to help young professionals succeed in the yachting business.  Source

• Rio, BHP at the Deutsche Bank Earnings Estimates Raised

    Rio Tinto Group and BHP Billiton Ltd., the world’s second-biggest and third-biggest iron ore producers, had their earnings forecasts raised as much as 39 percent by Deutsche Bank AG on increased metal price estimates. London-based Rio’s earnings per share may be $5.14 in 2010, 39 percent more than the broker’s

• OOCL-to-Oceania Europe raises rates

     OOCL said it is raising rates from northern European, Mediterranean and Black Sea ports to Australia and New Zealand by $100 per TEU beginning March 1. The line also said it will begin charging a ‘peak season surcharge’ on shipments from northern Europe to Australia and New Zealand on the same

• CMA CGM Australia hikes rates

     CMA CGM has announced a general rate increase on freight from the United States and Canada to Australia and New Zealand. CMA CGM will apply the latest general rate increase effective Dec. 1 “to provide its customers with the same reliable and efficient services to which they are accustomed.” For all cargo

• Awarded IADC emerging authors CEDA Dredging submitted days

    An IADC Best Paper Award for a young author was presented to Jelmer Braaksma for his paper entitled, â??Estimating the immeasurable: Soil propertiesâ? at CEDA Dredging Days 2009 in Rotterdam. Read at IADC young authors award to be presented at CEDA Dredging Days

• New bunker tanker in operation

    New Zealand’s new bunker tanker has been making deliveries after repairs to a faulty pump. “It is fully operational and we have made five bunker deliveries since the middle of last week,” said a source quoted by the Platts news service on Thursday. The $20 million Awanuia is owned by Seafuels,

• Majority scrap load port terminated

    The biggest cargo of scrap metal to leave Wellington headed out of CentrePort yesterday, but some of it may eventually end up back in New Zealand.