Update: A23a, the Iceberg “That Refuses to Die,” Caught in Antarctic Vortex

In January, we posted about an iceberg designated A23a, the world’s largest, which had begun to drift on the Antarctic Circumpolar Current into “iceberg alley.” As it drifted, it was being eroded by waves and melting in the relatively warmer … Continue reading

World’s Largest and Oldest Iceberg Floats Free Drifting Into “Iceberg Alley”

In 1986, a massive iceberg, almost five times larger than New York City, calved off West Antarctica’s Filchner-Ronne Ice Shelf. The iceberg, designated A23a, immediately grounded on the floor of the Weddell Sea, where it remained stuck for almost four … Continue reading

“Hero” Humpbacks Attempt to Protect Seal From Orca Attack

Recently, Bertie Gregory, a National Geographic Explorer and host of Animals Up Close on Disney+, observed a remarkable attempt by two humpback whales to protect a seal under attack by a pod of orcas in Antarctica’s Weddell Sea. National Geographic reports that … Continue reading

Brunt Ice Shelf Continues Calving — Another Iceberg Twice the Size of New York City

In late February 2022, an iceberg with an area of about 490 square miles, or slightly less than twice the size of the City of New York, calved from the Brunt Ice Shelf in the Weddell Sea section of Antarctica. … Continue reading

Update: Shackleton’s Lost Ship Endurance Located After 107 Years

The Endurance22 Expedition announced today that they have discovered the remarkably intact remains of Sir Ernest Shackleton‘s ship Endurance, which was crushed by pack ice off Antarctica in 1915.  A team of marine archeologists, adventurers, and technicians on the icebreaking … Continue reading

Stuck in the Ice, Searching for Shackleton’s Endurance

In early February, the Endurance22 expedition set off from Cape Town, South Africa for Antarctica’s Weddell Sea aboard the icebreaking research ship, SA Agulhas II. Their objective is to locate, survey, and film the wreck of Endurance, Ernest Shackleton’s ship that … Continue reading

Endurance22 Expedition, Search for Shackleton’s Lost Ship Beneath the Ice, Gets Underway

In early January, we posted about two memorial Antarctic expeditions on the 100th anniversary of Sir Ernest Shackleton’s death. One of the expeditions, Endurance22, organized by the Falklands Maritime Heritage Trust, hopes to locate, survey, and film the wreck of … Continue reading

Researchers Discover Vast Icefish Colony with 60 Million Nests Beneath Antarctica’s Weddell Sea

In February 2021, researchers on the German research vessel Polarstern discovered, quite by accident, the largest fish breeding area ever found near the Filchner Ice Shelf in the south of the Antarctic Weddell Sea. A towed camera system filmed thousands … Continue reading

On 100th Anniversary of Shackleton’s Death, Two Memorial Expeditions in His Honor

Sir Ernest Shackleton died 100 years ago yesterday, on January 5, 1922, of a heart attack on South Georgia on an expedition to map the still uncharted coastal regions of Antarctica. He was only 47 when he died. Now, two … Continue reading

Iceberg Larger Than New York City Calves from Brunt Ice Shelf

A large iceberg about 490 square miles and about 492 feet thick broke off the Brunt Ice Shelf in the Weddell Sea section of Antarctica yesterday. For comparison purposes, the City of New York is 303 square miles, while Manhattan … Continue reading

Update: Weddell Sea Expedition 2019 Abandons Search for Shackleton’s Endurance

It was a long-shot from the beginning. The Weddell Sea Expedition 2019 had dispatched the icebreaking polar-supply and research-vessel SA Agulhas II to study Antarctica’s Larsen C ice sheet. While in the area, the expedition attempted to locate Sir Ernest … Continue reading