Britain’s Royal Air Force has obtained images of what is considered the largest iceberg as it veers toward the island territory of South Georgia. Pictures of A68a were released Friday following a reconnaissance flight of the iceberg. At roughly 93 miles long and 30 miles wide, the floe is believed to be the world’s largest.
The pictures taken by British military aircraft, offering some of the closest views of the iceberg thus far, show cracks and apparently smaller chunks of ice breaking off. In a Facebook post, British officials note that because of the iceberg’s massive size, it’s nearly impossible to photograph it in full with the exception of satellite imagery.
“Ecosystems can and will bounce back of course, but there’s a danger here that if this iceberg gets stuck, it could be there for 10 years. An iceberg has massive implications for where land-based predators might be able to forage,” said Geraint Tarling, an ecologist with the organization in November.
The survey notes that a large numbers of seals, whales and penguins feed off the coast of the southern Atlantic island.
