The 2,500-sq.km. chunk threatens South Georgia's wildlife.

A gigantic iceberg called a23a – the world’s largest – is on a collision course with the remote British island of South Georgia in the Atlantic Ocean, posing a significant threat to its rich wildlife, including penguins and seals.

The iceberg, once part of Antarctica’s Filchner Ice Shelf, calved in 1986 and remained trapped on the seafloor before breaking free last December. Now drifting northward, it was less than 170 miles (270 kilometers) away from South Georgia, according to environmental agencies quoted by BBC and other media.

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Initially spanning 3,900 square kilometers, a23a has been slowly disintegrating and now measures around 3,500 square kilometers — roughly the size of Northern Cyprus in the Mediterranean.

The island of South Georgia. Credit: Adventure Life

It is visible from 1.36 million kilometers in space.

Warmer waters north of Antarctica have weakened its towering 400-meter-high walls, causing massive slabs to break off and plunge into the Atlantic Ocean. Scientists and sailors fear the iceberg could soon fracture into floating ice cities, which may linger for years around South Georgia, complicating navigation and disrupting marine life.

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The island, home to millions of elephant seals, fur seals, and colonies of King penguins, has faced similar threats before. In 2004, iceberg a38 grounded nearby, leading to widespread starvation among young wildlife.

In the past, grounded icebergs have devastated local ecosystems, blocking access to feeding grounds and causing mass fatalities among penguin chicks and seal pups.

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