Iceberg Map

Daily Commentary
Can I see an iceberg?
Why can't I see an iceberg?

This map shows the locations of icebergs off-shore from Christchurch, New Zealand. Triangles indicate the most recently measured position of the closest iceberg(s). Previous iceberg locations are shown by crosses with the dotted lines indicate the path of iceberg movement. Icebergs shown in blue are no longer being monitored; the date shown is when the iceberg position was last measured. The iceberg locations are provided by AirCharter Ltd and will be updated shortly after every flight.

The Dunedin iceberg map is no longer being updated as there are no icebergs close enough to view. The last update was on Saturday 2 December and may be viewed here.

Iceberg positions at 4pm Monday 18 December 2006

Daily Commentary

Monday 18 December 2006: The closest iceberg to Christchurch was spotted again this afternoon and had moved 44km north-east since Saturday at an average speed of 0.9 km per hour. This iceberg would have been visible from Duvauchelle Peak on Saturday, but has now moved out of range of any viewpoint on land.

Can I see an iceberg? Am I in the right place?

The icebergs that have been travelling up the South Island east coast since early November 2006 are generally a long way off-shore. Along most parts of the coast, such as beaches or cliff-tops, any icebergs are far away over the horizon and cannot be seen from land. Flying is the only way to get a look at them.

As icebergs are carried north-eastward by the currents off-shore, it may be possible to see icebergs from some of the more accessible high points and spurs on Banks Peninsula, but only if conditions are right.

What are the right conditions?

1. Are there any icebergs near to Banks Peninsula? The map on this webpage gives the latest known positions of icebergs that are being visited by scenic flights. The map shows how far and in what directions the icebergs are from land.
2. Where do I have to go to see an iceberg? The higher you are above sea level, the further you can see. To catch sight of an iceberg you need to be in a place that is high enough up. This place also has to have a clear view to the horizon in the direction of the iceberg. The map shows maximum lines of sight, in very clear weather, from the best vantage point near Christchurch City (the junction of the Summit Road and Mt Pleasant Road) and the best vantage point near Akaroa (Summit Road from Duvauchelle Peak, 3 km east of Little Akaloa Road).
3. Is anywhere else high enough for me to see an iceberg? If an iceberg is visible from Mt Pleasant Road, it may also be visible from the saddle on the road between Purau and Port Levy (although the lines of sight are more restricted by nearby hills than they are from Mt Pleasant Road). If an iceberg is within sight of Duvauchelle Peak, it may also be visible from the Summit Road up to 1 km or so either side of the turn-off to Le Bons Bay. The Le Bons Bay Road junction actually offers a better line of sight to the north-east than does Duvauchelle Peak, but the view is less good to the east. If an iceberg is within line of sight from either Duvauchelle Peak or from Mt Pleasant Road, it will also be within sight from the top of Mt Herbert (but only if you are an experienced outdoor walker!). From Mt Herbert, the line of sight out to sea (only on a very clear day!) is about 120 km. Line of sight is between 90 km and 100 km out to sea from Duvauchelle Peak & the top of Le Bons Bay Road, but is only about 80 km out to sea from the top of Mt Pleasant Road or the Port Levy saddle.
4. Clear weather conditions are absolutely essential if you are to have any chance of seeing an iceberg far out to sea. Below are some guidelines to help you recognise if the weather conditions are likely to be good enough.

Why can't I see an iceberg? Are the weather conditions right?

If an iceberg is known to be within line of sight of the highest vantage points on land, you will only see it if you have at least 80 km to 100 km clear visibility out to sea. Most of the time, conditions are nowhere near this clear. Haze, fog or spray out to sea means that the visibility is generally much less than 80 km, and view of any icebergs will be hopelessly obscured.

Visibility conditions can improve or deteriorate very rapidly (in matters of minutes). The following tips may help you decide if it is likely to be worthwhile making the trip to a high-enough vantage point to see an iceberg.

Tip 1: how sharp is the line where the sea meets the sky?
Go to a nearby place where you can look out to sea (such as the beach or a hill suburb). If the horizon where sea meets sky is a sharp clear line, then visibility is good, and may possibly be good enough to see an iceberg if you go to a high vantage point such as the parts of the Summit Road described above. If the horizon looks fuzzy from the beach or from the hill suburbs, there is no chance that visibility will be good enough to see an iceberg from the high vantage points.

Tip 2: how humid is the air?
If the air is humid, thin haze or mist will be widespread, especially out to sea, and there will be very little chance of visibility being good enough to see an iceberg from any of the high vantage points. Generally if the wind is blowing from the easterly or north-easterly directions, or from the southerly of south-westerly directions, it will be too cloudy and humid out to sea to have any chance of seeing an iceberg. Westerly or north-westerly winds are much more likely to give drier conditions and better visibility. However, if the winds are very strong, they are likely to whip up spray and make for poor visibility out to sea.

You can also go to the Metservice website to get an up-to-date prediction of when rain, and its accompanying humidity, is forecast to pass over the region. Periods in-between rain bands are likely to offer clearer conditions out to sea. However, Tip 1: seeing a clear boundary between sea and sky, is a much more reliable indication of good viewing condition out to sea.

Tip 3: an iceberg shows up best when the sun is shining on it.
If it is very cloudy an iceberg will be a much duller white and harder to see. In the twilight before sunrise or after sunset, an iceberg will be very hard to see.

Tip 4: you will need binoculars!
Do I need any special equipment to see an iceberg? Even in the clearest weather conditions out to sea, any icebergs within line of sight of any of the high vantage points will be very close to the horizon where the sea meets the sky. At the very least, you will need moderate-power binoculars. High-power binoculars or a telescope will offer better views if the weather is clear enough. Cameras will need a zoom lens, and preferably a tripod to keep them steady.