An iceberg warning has been issued for ships in the Southern Ocean after more than 100 were sighted on Friday just south of New Zealand.
"We were surprised by the number of them and by how far north they were," said squadron leader Andy Nielsen, the captain of the New Zealand Air Force Orion which found the icebergs while on a routine fisheries patrol.
"We were operating in a major shipping lane and, due to the number of these things floating around, we thought it wise that Maritime New Zealand be informed."
Squadron leader Nielsen said they radioed in so a navigation hazard warning could be issued.
The northern most iceberg was only 260 kilometres off the New Zealand coast and the largest was estimated at two kilometres by 1.5 kilometres and more than 130 metres high.
– AFP