Antartic Icebergs in N.Z. Territorial Waters

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WELLINGTON, N.Z. (AP) - Icebergs have been spotted in New Zealand waters for the first time in 56 years, with some of them as large as three kilometres wide, a scientist said Thursday.

The cluster of 15 icebergs, sighted near Campbell Island about 700 kilometres southeast of New Zealand, could be a hazard to shipping, said Lionel Carter, a scientist at the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research.

Carter said the icebergs appeared to have been generated by the breakup of ice shelves in the Ross and Weddell Seas of the Antarctic and are expected to drift toward South America.

Organizers of the Vendee Globe solo round-the-world yacht race warned competitors to be aware of the iceberg hazard.

Icebergs were last sighted in New Zealand waters in 1948, Carter said

so does that mean New Zelanders can start building their houses on them...? Sweet.

I wonder if an iceburg would be defined as land or a vessel. If it were land and New Zealand claimed it while it was still in their waters, they could float it wherever they wanted and violate the laws of whatever country they took it to with impunity- until of course it melted and they found themselves adrift in the territorial waters of a nation that was very angry with them.
(Do me a favor- float it over here to the USA and start broadcasting things from it that the FCC would normally prohibit).

what I'm wondering is what any ships would be doing that far south? The only ships I'd think having ny business down there would be Ice Breakers anyways. Will do a search on this one......

wonder if that 7.8 down between antarctica and new zealand had anything to do with the fractures.