Ioannes-Paulus-II-Peninsula-location-map

Half Moon Beach is a small crescent-shaped beach lying south-east of

Scarborough Castle Scarborough Castle is a former medieval Royal fortress situated on a rocky promontory overlooking the North Sea and Scarborough, North Yorkshire, England. The site of the castle, encompassing the Iron Age settlement, Roman signal station, an Ang ...

on the north coast of

Livingston Island Livingston Island (Russian name ''Smolensk'', ) is an Antarctic island in the Southern Ocean, part of the South Shetlands Archipelago, a group of Antarctic islands north of the Antarctic Peninsula. It was the first land discovered south of 60 ...

, in the

South Shetland Islands The South Shetland Islands are a group of Antarctic islands with a total area of . They lie about north of the Antarctic Peninsula, and between southwest of the nearest point of the South Orkney Islands. By the Antarctic Treaty of 195 ...

Antarctica Antarctica () is Earth's southernmost and least-populated continent. Situated almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and surrounded by the Southern Ocean, it contains the geographic South Pole. Antarctica is the fifth-largest contine ...

. The beach lieas at the western extremity of

Porlier Bay Porlier Bay ( bg, залив Порлиер, zaliv Porlier, ) is the 3 km wide bay indenting for 1.6 km the north coast of Ioannes Paulus II Peninsula on Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica. It is entered betwee ...

in the north of

Ioannes Paulus II Peninsula Ioannes Paulus II Peninsula ( bg, Полуостров Йоан Павел II, Poluostrov Yoan Pavel II, ) is an ice-covered peninsula on the north coast of Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica that is bounded by Hero Bay t ...

History

The descriptive name was recorded by

Robert Fildes The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of '' Hruod'' ( non, Hróðr) "fame, glory, honou ...

, who had

sealers Sealer may refer either to a person or ship engaged in seal hunting, or to a sealant; associated terms include: Seal hunting * Sealer Hill, South Shetland Islands, Antarctica * Sealers' Oven, bread oven of mud and stone built by sealers around 180 ...

working here in 1820–21 and 1821–22. Wreckage of the

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Cana ...

ship ''

San Telmo San Telmo ("Saint Pedro González Telmo") is the oldest ''barrio'' (neighborhood) of Buenos Aires, Argentina. It is a well-preserved area of the Argentine metropolis and is characterized by its colonial buildings. Cafes, tango parlors and antique ...

'' that sank off the island in 1819 was subsequently found on the beach.

Historic site

A cairn at the beach, along with a

plaque Plaque may refer to: Commemorations or awards * Commemorative plaque, a plate or tablet fixed to a wall to mark an event, person, etc. * Memorial Plaque (medallion), issued to next-of-kin of dead British military personnel after World War I * Pla ...

on ‘Cerro Gaviota’ opposite

San Telmo Island San Telmo Island (a.k.a. Telmo Island) is an island forming the west side of Shirreff Cove on the north-west coast of Ioannes Paulus II Peninsula, Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands of Antarctica. It has a surface area of .L.L. Iv ...

, commemorates the officers, soldiers and seamen aboard the ''San Telmo'', who were possibly the first people to live and die in Antarctica. It has been designated a Historic Site or Monument ''San Telmo Cairn'' (HSM 59), following a proposal by Chile, Spain and Peru to the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting.

Maps

* L.L. Ivanov et al. Antarctica: Livingston Island and Greenwich Island, South Shetland Islands. Scale 1:100000 topographic map. Sofia: Antarctic Place-names Commission of Bulgaria, 2005. * L.L. Ivanov. Antarctica: Livingston Island and Greenwich, Robert, Snow and Smith Islands. Scale 1:120000 topographic map. Troyan: Manfred Wörner Foundation, 2010. (First edition 2009. )

References

SCAR Composite Antarctic Gazetteer
Cliffs surrounding and the entrance to Half Moon Beac

Beaches of Livingston Island Historic Sites and Monuments of Antarctica Spain and the Antarctic {{LivingstonIsland-geo-stub