The world's largest iceberg is on a collision course with islands, putting millions at risk. Watch the video to learn more about this imminent danger.

The A23a iceberg, which is regarded as the largest in the world, first broke off from the Filchner Ice Shelf in 1986. For the initial few decades, this massive ice chunk remained stationary until gradual melting in 2020 allowed it to slowly drift towards the Southern Ocean. In 2023, the planet's largest iceberg finally set off on its journey, but last year it became trapped in a whirlpool, as reported by Science Alert.

In December 2024, the enormous ice mass resumed its movement, navigating through the waters of Antarctica. The previous months were spent swirling in the Taylor whirlpools. It is noteworthy that these whirlpools are caused by the presence of underwater mountains. The resulting circulating currents can hinder the release of icebergs, but A23a, weighing a trillion tons, managed to break free, and scientists are continuing to monitor it closely.

Science has shown that as icebergs melt, they can significantly impact the levels of carbon and nutrients in the water. This, in turn, affects food chains and marine life beneath the waves. However, this is not the only danger posed by such massive ice formations.

Researchers are tracking the movement of the world's largest iceberg using satellites and have now discovered that it is likely to collide with a group of remote islands in the southern Atlantic Ocean. Unfortunately, this threatens the safety of wildlife in a region known for its rich biodiversity. For comparison, the islands are home to an incredible amount of life — the local biodiversity even surpasses that of the Galapagos.

According to Simon Wallace, captain of the government vessel Pharos in South Georgia, icebergs are inherently dangerous, and everyone would prefer if it simply passed by. However, the enormous A23a iceberg currently poses a risk of crashing into South Georgia and nearby islands. Researchers fear that such a collision could lead to the death of millions of penguins, seals, and rare marine species that are found nowhere else on Earth.

It's worth noting that this is not the first time a giant iceberg has endangered animal life in the region. For instance, after splitting in half, a part of the iceberg known as A38-B became stuck off the coast of South Georgia for several months in 2004. As a result, penguins and seals lost access to feeding grounds.

According to scientists, the A23a iceberg had been grounded in the Weddell Sea for three decades, significantly slowing its melting. In 2023, when the world's largest iceberg began to move, researchers were able to study the ice mass in detail and even collected samples, allowing for an investigation into the effects of melting water on ecosystems.

Oceanographer Andrew Meyers from the British Antarctic Survey stated that he and his colleagues are observing the A23a iceberg and trying to understand whether it will follow the same path as other icebergs. They are also eager to discover how the melting water from this massive ice chunk will impact the local ecosystem.

The BAS team predicts that winds and currents will carry A23a into the Southern Ocean, following the Antarctic Circumpolar Current, bringing it closer to an area known as the "iceberg alley." According to marine ecologist Mark Belcher, unfortunately, South Georgia is located in the iceberg alley, so impacts on the local ecosystem and fisheries should be anticipated.

Given the scale of A23a, it is challenging to predict the consequences of its melting when it enters warmer waters. However, previous studies have shown that increased iron levels resulting from glacier melting can boost phytoplankton levels, for instance, by capturing some CO2 from the atmosphere.