An iceberg floats behind a lying elephant seal at Sandy Bay on Macquarie Island's east coast, in the Southern Ocean, 930 miles southeast of Tasmania, Australia. It is very rare to see icebergs from Macquarie Island and is uncommon to find icebergs in this general region. The icebergs are floating north toward Australia and New Zealand. (AP Photo/Australian Antarctic Division, Eve Merfield)
For the second time in four years, a flotilla of icebergs, perhaps 100 or more, are bearing down on New Zealand.
The icebergs are potentially dangerous to ships, of course, but also represent a boon for some tourism companies.
Monday, the tourist ship Spirit of Enderby spotted an iceberg estimated to be 500 feet long floating 60 miles northeast of Macquarie Island, about 500 miles south of New Zealand. Earlier this month, Australian researchers observed a group of 20 icebergs drifting past the island.
Ocean currents are carrying the icebergs toward New Zealand from Antarctica, where they originated. Whether or not global warming is responsible for this phenomenon is a matter of debate. On the one hand, ice has been breaking off Antarctica’s ice shelf at an increasing rate in recent years as global temperatures have risen. On the other hand, the icebergs are not melting as fast this year due to an unusual cold snap in the New Zealand region, where it is now late spring.
In 2006, a mass of icebergs got so close to New Zealand that they were visible from shore for the first time in 75 years. Helicopters carried tourists from the islands on sightseeing excursions to the icebergs, some of which were inhabited by penguins.
What would it cost you to fly to New Zealand from Chicago and spend a week enjoying spring weather and potentially going on a helicopter ride to an iceberg? Figure on a minimum of $3,000 per person. Plan on spending at least 19 hours in transit each way. Flights to and from Chicago connect in places like Los Angeles, Honolulu, Phoenix, San Francisco, and Japan. Qantas and Air New Zealand are generally the options in and out of Auckland, New Zealand.
Auckland, by the way, is on New Zealand’s North Island. If you want a chance to see the icebergs from shore (keeping in mind there’s no guarantee this is going to happen this time around), you’re probably going to have to get to the South Island, which means adding a flight or a ferry trip to Christchurch.
Still, if time and money are no obstacles for you, it might be a lot of fun!
Note: The YouTube video below is from the 2006 visit of icebergs to New Zealand waters.
Comments
Love this - the icebergs are a very cool event, and hopefully they might survive intact long enough to see them off the Christchurch and Canterbury coast.
Absolutely no mention of global warming in this newscast makes me a little worried. "Let's go ride an iceberg" seemed to be the only thing on these folks minds-- not "what the heck are they doing here?!?"
They are very beautiful, and thanks for the article Dennis. Still, it seems like someone in NZ should've posited a "why".
Didn't see icebergs but did love New Zealand. Highly recommend a visit.
Would love to see the icebergs, but point of order on the comment about global temperatures: they haven't been rising in recent years. In fact, they've been relatively steady and even reducing since 1998/9. Global ocean temperatures have been decreasing steadily.
That is really cool.
Sold. Where do I sign up. Would love to see NZ.
Would love to see the icebergs, but point of order on the comment about global temperatures: they haven't been rising in recent years. In fact, they've been relatively steady and even reducing since 1998/9. Global ocean temperatures have been decreasing steadily.
Tony -- I don't want to trigger a global warming debate because that's not the point of the article. The data I've seen indicates that global temperatures have been rising fairly steadily for the past 50 years. It probably depends on which scientists you want to believe and how they are interpreting the statistical information. As Disraeli said, "There are three kinds of lies... lies, damned lies, and statistics."
It seems that with tourism you always want what is rare. I talked to a marketeer from an international guiding company and she told me there has been a spike in interest in Antarctica. Now there are people in New Zealand wanting to see icebergs. I wonder if thee interest in cold snowy places has anything to do with the threat of global warming?
Fascinating! This makes me think of tourist attractions that won't be there when I finally make it to the site. I doubt the icebergs in New Zealand will sit still until I get to see them.
As a former cruiser, I wonder how the yachties are taking this. Those sailing around the South Island need to be very cautious indeed.
LOVE the photo!
I do not know, but these are not good signs, this is a concern. This global warming and the ozone layer to deteriorate every day because of the pollution that human beings themselves is causing the planet earth is our home, is what is causing all these things. If all that ice that are at the poles melt reached, the water level would rise and many costs would be under water and many islands off the map. Scientists know all these things and that this is inevitable. I do not know, but these things are mentioned in the Bible, but almost nobody pays any attention, they see it as an ordinary book. People, we must be aware about the signals. This is not about bigotry, it is rather to raise awareness. Take care.
I do not know, but these are not good signs, all these things that are happening are alarming. This global warming and the ozone layer to deteriorate every day because of the pollution that human beings themselves is causing the planet earth is our home, is what is causing all these things. If all that ice that are at the poles melt reached, the water level would rise from the sea and the coast would be under the ocean and many islands off the map. All that snow and ice existing in the Earth's poles is water stored frozen. Scientists know all these things and that all this is inevitable. I do not know, but these things are mentioned in the Bible, but almost nobody pays any attention, they see it as an ordinary book. People! we must be aware of all these signals are seeing in these times we are living. This is not about bigotry, it is rather to raise awareness. Take care.
Note: I apologize for any spelling error, but my English is not very good.
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