Bergy Bit

Mid-size fragment of glacier ice between a growler and a small iceberg, defined by the World Meteorological Organization as one to five metres above water and five to fifteen metres across. Bergy bits are common in iceberg drift fields and present a serious collision hazard because they sit too low to be reliably detected on S-band radar at normal sea states yet retain enough mass to hole an unstrengthened hull at displacement speed. The International Ice Patrol issues seasonal sighting reports for the North Atlantic.