Icebergs are mostly underwater because ice is less dense than seawater. About 1/9 of an iceberg is above the surface, and the rest remains hidden. Icebergs form when glaciers, made of compressed fresh water, break off into the sea. This process can take thousands of years.
Once in the ocean, icebergs float for 3–6 years, carried by currents. They melt, crash into land, or break apart, making strange sounds like "Bergie Seltzer" when trapped air bubbles burst. Icebergs vary in size, from small growlers, the size of cars, to very large icebergs, towering 270 feet above water. Blue icebergs appear due to intense compression that removes air bubbles, while white ones have more air.
Icebergs can travel far, some reaching Bermuda. Antarctic icebergs often stay in the Southern Ocean but can still disrupt shipping lanes. Despite their cold, icy appearance, icebergs support ecosystems. Melting ice creates fresh water pools that influence ocean currents, attracting krill, fish, jellyfish, and even whales, seals, and penguins. Icebergs are not just slabs of ice—they are mobile ecosystems that interact with the oceans they travel through.