Iceberg A-23A first broke away from Antarctica in 1986. That was nearly forty years ago. Now the iceberg is far from where it began, floating in the South Atlantic, darker in places, soaked through with blue meltwater, and visibly coming apart.
When it calved from the Filchner Ice Shelf in 1986, A-23A was immense. Almost twice the size of Rhode Island, it stretched across roughly 4,000 square kilometres. What remains today is much smaller. Estimates from early January 2026 suggest an area of about 1,182 square kilometres, after several large fragments broke away during the latter half of 2025 as the iceberg entered warmer seasonal conditions.
