Ivanov Beach ( bg, Иванов бряг, Ivanov bryag, ) is a mostly ice-free beach on the

Drake Passage The Drake Passage (referred to as Mar de Hoces Hoces Sea"in Spanish-speaking countries) is the body of water between South America's Cape Horn, Chile and the South Shetland Islands of Antarctica. It connects the southwestern part of the Atla ...

stretching in southwest–northeast direction on the southeast coast of

Barclay Bay Barclay Bay () is a bay in Drake Passage between Cape Shirreff and Essex Point on the north side of Livingston Island, in the South Shetland Islands. Its head is fed by Etar Snowfield. The name appears on an 1825 chart of the British sealing e ...

in western

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 ...

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 ...

. It extends to Nedelya Point and

Byers Peninsula Byers Peninsula is a mainly ice-free peninsula forming the west end of Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands of Antarctica. It occupies , borders Ivanov Beach to the northeast and is separated from Rotch Dome on the east by the ridge of ...

on the southwest, Rowe Point and

Etar Snowfield Etar Snowfield ( bg, Ледник Етър, lednik Etar, ) is a roughly crescent-shaped snowfield on western Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica situated west of Urdoviza, Medven and Berkovitsa Glaciers, northwest of Veri ...

on the northeast, and the slopes of

Rotch Dome Rotch Dome is the sloping ice dome rising to 360 m immediately east of Byers Peninsula, and between Barclay Bay and Walker Bay in Livingston Island, South Shetland Islands, Antarctica. It is bounded by Urvich Wall to the west, surmounting Ivanov ...

on the southeast. Its ice-free area is ca. . The beach features

Bilyar Point Bilyar Point ( bg, text=нос Биляр, italic=yes, ‘Nos Bilyar’ \'nos bi-'lyar\) is a rounded ice-free point on Ivanov Beach in western Livingston Island, the South Shetland Islands in Antarctica projecting 350 m into Barclay Bay. Situa ...

northeast of Nedelya Point,

Mneme Lake Mneme Lake ( bg, езеро Мнема, ezero Mnema, ) is the oval-shaped 220 m long in southwest–northeast direction and 85 m wide lake on the northwest coast of Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica. It has a surface a ...

just west of Rowe Point and a minor point southwest of the latter. The beach is protected by shallows, and numerous offshore rocks and islets with the largest of them being

Cutler Stack Cutler Stack is a conspicuous sea stack extending and rising to , lying off Ivanov Beach in the south of Barclay Bay, western Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica. The area was visited by early 19th century sealers. The ...

off Nedelya Point. The feature is named for Lyubomir Ivanov, topographic surveyor in Antarctica during the 1994/95 and subsequent seasons, author of Antarctic topographic maps, and founding chairman of the

Antarctic Place-names Commission The Antarctic Place-names Commission was established by the Bulgarian Antarctic Institute in 1994, and since 2001 has been a body affiliated with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria. The Commission approves Bulgarian place names in ...

of Bulgaria. In particular, he led the Tangra 2004/05 Survey noted by

Discovery Channel Discovery Channel (known as The Discovery Channel from 1985 to 1995, and often referred to as simply Discovery) is an American cable channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery, a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav. , Discovery Channe ...

, the

Natural History Museum A natural history museum or museum of natural history is a scientific institution with natural history collections that include current and historical records of animals, plants, fungi, ecosystems, geology, paleontology, climatology, and more. ...

, the

Royal Collection The Royal Collection of the British royal family is the largest private art collection in the world. Spread among 13 occupied and historic royal residences in the United Kingdom, the collection is owned by King Charles III and overseen by the ...

and the

British Antarctic Survey The British Antarctic Survey (BAS) is the United Kingdom's national polar research institute. It has a dual purpose, to conduct polar science, enabling better understanding of global issues, and to provide an active presence in the Antarctic on ...

as a timeline event in Antarctic exploration.

Location

Ivanov Beach is centred at . British mapping was carried out in 1822 and 1968, Chilean in 1971, Argentine in 1980, Spanish in 1991 and 1992, and Bulgarian in 2005, 2009 and 2017.

History

Following the discovery of Livingston Island by William Smith in 1819, the vicinity was visited by

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

and

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

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 ...

frequenting

Cape Shirreff Cape Shirreff is a prominent cape at the north end of the rocky peninsula which separates Hero Bay and Barclay Bay on the north coast of Livingston Island, in the South Shetland Islands of Antarctica. The cape was named by Edward Bransfield in ...

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 ...

and nearby

Robbery Beaches Robbery Beaches are beaches extending along the north side of Byers Peninsula, Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica between Essex Point to the west and Nedelya Point to the east. They are crossed by Eridanus Stream and Be ...

South Beaches South Beaches is an unofficial area in Brevard County, Florida, United States. It includes cities, towns and unincorporated area on the barrier island south of Patrick Space Force Base. The cities and towns include: South Patrick Shores, Satelli ...

and

President Beaches President Beaches is a series of beaches which extend for 6 nautical miles (11 km) along the broad western end of Byers Peninsula, Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica between Start Point to the north and Devils Poin ...

on Byers Peninsula. As the seals were killed onshore the hunters spent protracted periods of time there, seeking refuge from the elements in purpose-built stone huts, tent bivouacs or natural caves. Livingston Island became the most populous place in Antarctica for a time, its inhabitants exceeding 200 in number during the 1820–23 South Shetlands sealing rush. The principal sealer ‘settlements’ on the island were situated on Byers Peninsula near

Nikopol Point Nikopol Point (Nos Nikopol \'nos ni-'ko-pol\) is an ice-free point on the south coast of Byers Peninsula, Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica projecting 650 m east-southeastwards into Bransfield Strait and linked by a sp ...

Sealer Hill Sealer Hill is a hill rising to 70 m in the southwest part of Byers Peninsula, Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica. It surmounts Nikopol Point and Sevar Point to the east-southeast and west-southwest, respectively. The a ...

Negro Hill Negro Hill is a conspicuous rocky hill, double-peaked with a small tarn in between, rising to 100 m at South Beaches on Byers Peninsula, Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica. It surmounts Fontus Lake on the south. The are ...

Rish Point Rish Point ( bg, нос Риш, ‘Nos Rish’ \'nos 'rish\) is an ice-free point projecting 300 m from the south coast of Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica. It is situated at the east extremity of South Beaches, Byers P ...

Sparadok Point Sparadok Point ( bg, нос Спарадок, ‘Nos Sparadok’ \'nos spa-ra-'dok\) is a sharp ice-free point projecting 200 m from the coast of Byers Peninsula on Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica with a shingle spit ...

Lair Point Lair Point is a point projecting 570 m into Barclay Bay from Robbery Beaches on Byers Peninsula, Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica and forming the east side of the entrance to Kukuzel Cove. Dominated by Lair Hill (96 m) ...

and Varadero Point, as well as at Cape Shirreff and

Elephant Point Elephant Point is a small predominantly ice-free promontory projecting 2 km into Bransfield Strait at the south extremity of the west half of Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica. The point forms the southwest side ...

. Remnants of huts, boats and other sealer equipment and belongings are still present at a number of Byers Peninsula sites, which have become the subject of systematic archaeological research. Some 26 human shelter structures have been identified there, the nearest ones to Ivanov Beach situated east of Sparadok Point. However, the beach itself is believed to have been visited only very rarely (one such visit was to Nedelya Point by a field party from the British base camp

Station P Station P was a British base camp at the head of Mateev Cove on the east side of Hannah Point, Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica that supported survey, geology and biology field work from 29 December 1957 until 15 March ...

during the season 1957/58), and deemed free of non-native plants. In order to protect its pristine environment, the beach has been placed under a particularly strict

biosecurity Biosecurity refers to measures aimed at preventing the introduction and/or spread of harmful organisms (e.g. viruses, bacteria, etc.) to animals and plants in order to minimize the risk of transmission of infectious disease. In agriculture, thes ...

regime.

Protection status

Except for its offshore islets and rocks, in 2016 Ivanov Beach was incorporated in an enlarged

Antarctic Specially Protected Area An Antarctic Specially Protected Area (ASPA) is an area on the continent of Antarctica, or on nearby islands, which is protected by scientists and several different international bodies. The protected areas were established in 1961 under the Antarct ...

''ASPA 126 Byers Peninsula'', and further designated within it as a restricted zone of scientific importance to Antarctic

microbiology Microbiology () is the scientific study of microorganisms, those being unicellular (single cell), multicellular (cell colony), or acellular (lacking cells). Microbiology encompasses numerous sub-disciplines including virology, bacteriology, prot ...

, with greater restriction placed on access with the aim of preventing microbial or other contamination by human activity. Inland from the beach, the restricted zone includes also the northern part of the ridge Urvich Wall, and the adjacent glaciated area on the west and northwest slopes of Rotch Dome bounded on the east by longitude 60°53′45″W, on the south by latitude 62°38′30″S and on the west by longitude 60°58′48″W.Management Plan for Antarctic Specially Protected Area No. 126 Byers Peninsula.
Measure 4 (2016), ATCM XXXIX Final Report. Santiago, 2016 Certain vectors of alien species transmission remain unchecked though, including the wood and plastic

marine debris Marine debris, also known as marine litter, is human-created waste that has deliberately or accidentally been released in a sea or ocean. Floating oceanic debris tends to accumulate at the center of gyres and on coastlines, frequently washing ...

, more abundant on northerly Livingston beaches due to their exposure to Drake Passage.

Important Bird Area

The beach is part of the

Important Bird Area An Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA) is an area identified using an internationally agreed set of criteria as being globally important for the conservation of bird populations. IBA was developed and sites are identified by BirdLife Int ...

(IBA) ''Byers Peninsula, Livingston Island'' identified by

BirdLife International BirdLife International is a global partnership of non-governmental organizations that strives to conserve birds and their habitats. BirdLife International's priorities include preventing extinction of bird species, identifying and safeguarding ...

, which coincides territorially with the protected area ''ASPA 126 Byers Peninsula''.

Maps

Chart of South Shetland including Coronation Island, &c.
from the exploration of the sloop Dove in the years 1821 and 1822 by George Powell Commander of the same. Scale ca. 1:200000. London: Laurie, 1822
South Shetland Islands.
Scale 1:200000 topographic map. DOS 610 Sheet W 62 60. Tolworth, UK, 1968

Scale 1:200000. Admiralty Chart 1776. UK Hydrographic Office, 1968

Mapa hidrográfico a escala 1:500000 - 1:350000. Valparaíso: Instituto Hidrográfico de la Armada de Chile, 1971 * Islas Shetland del Sur de Isla 25 de Mayo a Isla Livingston. Mapa hidrográfico a escala 1:200000. Buenos Aires: Servicio de Hidrografía Naval de la Armada, 1980 * Islas Livingston y Decepción. Mapa topográfico a escala 1:100000. Madrid: Servicio Geográfico del Ejército, 1991
Península Byers, Isla Livingston.
Mapa topográfico a escala 1:25000. Madrid: Servicio Geográfico del Ejército, 1992. (Map image on p. 55 of the linked study) * L.L. Ivanov et al. Antarctica: Livingston Island, South Shetland Islands (from English Strait to Morton Strait, with illustrations and ice-cover distribution). Scale 1:100000 . 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. )
South Shetland Islands: Livingston Island, Byers Peninsula.
Scale 1:50000 satellite map. UK Antarctic Place-names Committee, 2010 * L.L. Ivanov. Antarctica: Livingston Island and Smith Island. Scale 1:100000 topographic map. Manfred Wörner Foundation, 2017.
Antarctic Digital Database (ADD).
Scale 1:250000 topographic map of Antarctica. Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR). Since 1993, regularly upgraded and updated

In fiction

Ivanov Beach is part of the mise-en-scène in the Antarctica

thriller novel Thriller is a genre of fiction, having numerous, often overlapping subgenres. Thrillers are characterized and defined by the moods they elicit, giving viewers heightened feelings of suspense, excitement, surprise, anticipation and anxiety. Su ...

''The Killing Ship'' authored by

Elizabeth Cruwys Susanna Gregory is the pseudonym of Elizabeth Cruwys, a Cambridge academic who was previously a coroner's officer. She writes detective fiction, and is noted for her series of mediaeval mysteries featuring Matthew Bartholomew, a teacher of medici ...

and Beau Riffenburgh under their joint alias

Simon Beaufort Susanna Gregory is the pseudonym of Elizabeth Cruwys, a Cambridge academic who was previously a coroner's officer. She writes detective fiction, and is noted for her series of mediaeval mysteries featuring Matthew Bartholomew, a teacher of medici ...

in 2016. A landmark locality in the course of a modern-day plot with action spreading westwards from

Hannah Point Hannah Point is a point on the south coast of Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica. It forms the east side of the entrance to Walker Bay and the west side of the entrance to South Bay. Surmounted by Ustra Peak to the nor ...

, skirting

Verila Glacier Verila Glacier ( bg, ледник Верила, lednik Verila, ) on Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica is situated southeast of southern Etar Snowfield, southwest of Berkovitsa and Tundzha Glaciers, and west of Kamchi ...

and

in the process, and eventually reaching Robbery Beaches and Villard Point on Byers Peninsula, the beach is shown on a sketch map of Livingston Island illustrating the book.''The Killing Ship.''
Susanna Gregory Website, 2019

Notes

References

Ivanov Beach.

SCAR A scar (or scar tissue) is an area of fibrous tissue that replaces normal skin after an injury. Scars result from the biological process of wound repair in the skin, as well as in other organs, and tissues of the body. Thus, scarring is a na ...

Composite Gazetteer of Antarctica The Composite Gazetteer of Antarctica (CGA) of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) is the authoritative international gazetteer containing all Antarctic toponyms published in national gazetteers, plus basic information about th ...

Ivanov Beach.
GeoNames Database
Bulgarian Antarctic Gazetteer.

. (details in Bulgarian
basic data
in English)
Antarctic Digital Database.

Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research The Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) is an interdisciplinary body of the International Science Council (ISC). SCAR coordinates international scientific research efforts in Antarctica, including the Southern Ocean. SCAR's scien ...

External links

Ivanov Beach.
Adjusted Copernix satellite image {{Bulgarian-named Antarctic place Beaches of Livingston Island Antarctic Specially Protected Areas Important Bird Areas of Antarctica Bulgaria and the Antarctic