MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Two ice blocks drifting in South Atlantic

Two ice blocks are drifting along the Argentine coast 350 kilometres off shore pushed by the Malvinas current, warned Wednesday the Argentine Coast Guard.

One of them is 250 metres long by 30 and 40 metres tall and both are a potential hazard for shipping in the area. The first block was sited early afternoon by the "Atlantic Surf" fishing vessel, and a few minutes later, fifteen kilometres to the north east, the second with similar dimensions.

"The ice blocks are drifting with the Malvinas current, in direction south-north, and could travel thousands of kilometres before melting down", reports the Coast Guard release.

The Argentine Coast Guard vessel "Thompson" with air support is closely monitoring both ice blocks to warn shipping and concerned with the proximity of the squid season when hundreds of jiggers flock the South Atlantic.

At the time of the report 20:00 hour South Atlantic, the two ice packs were floating 360 kilometres offshore the province of Rio Negro between the locations of Carmen de Patagones and San Antonio Oeste.