Towing icebergs was first demonstrated near Newfoundland, Canada. Icebergs are common in the waters there - they drift down into the North Atlantic from the massive glaciers of Greenland.

A vessel navigates around a berg with a floating tow line and the berg is lassoed. Tow tension is applied carefully to avoid rolling the berg or pulling the line over the top. Once secure, the ice is pulled along.

And why would anyone want to rope a berg?

The huge masses of ice just drift along - without navigators - and they can be a serious danger to ships, or even grind into the shoreline and possibly block harbors.

And can you imagine a gigantic iceberg drifting into an offshore oil drilling platform? Not only would the drilling rig be destroyed, but there could be oil spills as well. "Managing" the floating behemoths is therefore important - approaching bergs are watched carefully, and any that appear to be on a collision path are roped and moved enough to change their course.