Byers Peninsula
Encyclopedia
Byers Peninsula is a mainly ice-free peninsula forming the west end of Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands
. It occupies 60 square kilometres (23.2 sq mi), and includes the small freshwater
Basalt Lake
. The area was visited by early 19th century American and British sealers
who came almost exclusively from New England
, New York
and England
. They operated on President Beaches
, Robbery Beaches
and South Beaches
, and built dwellings and shelter such as those still preserved at Sealer Hill
and Lair Point
. Byers Peninsula has a regime of special environmental
protection under the Antarctic Treaty System
and requires a permit to enter.
The feature was named by the UK Antarctic Place-names Committee
in 1958 for James Byers
, a New York
shipowner who tried unsuccessfully in August 1820 to induce the United States Government to found a settlement in and take possession of the South Shetland Islands. Byers organized and sent out a fleet of American sealers from New York to the South Shetland Islands in 1820–21.
South Shetland Islands
The South Shetland Islands are a group of Antarctic islands, lying about north of the Antarctic Peninsula, with a total area of . By the Antarctic Treaty of 1959, the Islands' sovereignty is neither recognized nor disputed by the signatories and they are free for use by any signatory for...
. It occupies 60 square kilometres (23.2 sq mi), and includes the small freshwater
Freshwater
Fresh water is naturally occurring water on the Earth's surface in ice sheets, ice caps, glaciers, bogs, ponds, lakes, rivers and streams, and underground as groundwater in aquifers and underground streams. Fresh water is generally characterized by having low concentrations of dissolved salts and...
Basalt Lake
Basalt Lake
Basalt Lake is a small freshwater lake surrounded by three basalt outcrops with ‘organ-pipe’ formations in their rocks, situated in the central part of the ice-free Byers Peninsula, Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica...
. The area was visited by early 19th century American and British sealers
Seal hunting
Seal hunting, or sealing, is the personal or commercial hunting of seals. The hunt is currently practiced in five countries: Canada, where most of the world's seal hunting takes place, Namibia, the Danish region of Greenland, Norway and Russia...
who came almost exclusively from New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
, New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. They operated on President Beaches
President Beaches
President Beaches is a series of beaches which extend for 6 nautical miles along the broad western end of Byers Peninsula, Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica between Start Point to the north and Devils Point to the south....
, Robbery Beaches
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....
and South Beaches
South Beaches, Livingston Island
South Beaches are the beaches extending along the south side of Byers Peninsula, Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica between Devils Point to the west and Rish Point to the east...
, and built dwellings and shelter such as those still preserved at Sealer Hill
Sealer Hill
Sealer Hill is a hill rising to 91 m in the southwest part of Byers Peninsula, Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica. Surmounting Nikopol Point and Sevar Point to the east-southeast and west-southwest respectively...
and Lair Point
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...
. Byers Peninsula has a regime of special environmental
Natural environment
The natural environment encompasses all living and non-living things occurring naturally on Earth or some region thereof. It is an environment that encompasses the interaction of all living species....
protection under the Antarctic Treaty System
Antarctic Treaty System
The Antarctic Treaty and related agreements, collectively called the Antarctic Treaty System or ATS, regulate international relations with respect to Antarctica, Earth's only continent without a native human population. For the purposes of the treaty system, Antarctica is defined as all of the land...
and requires a permit to enter.
The feature was named by the UK Antarctic Place-names Committee
UK Antarctic Place-Names Committee
The UK Antarctic Place-Names Committee is a United Kingdom government committee, part of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, responsible for recommending names of geographical locations within the British Antarctic Territory and the South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands...
in 1958 for James Byers
James Byers
James Byers was a New York shipowner, merchant and sealer, who sent a four-vessel sealing fleet to the South Shetland Islands in 1820-21. Byers also lobbied US Secretary of State John Quincy Adams and President James Monroe to send a warship and take possession of the islands, suggesting that the...
, a New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
shipowner who tried unsuccessfully in August 1820 to induce the United States Government to found a settlement in and take possession of the South Shetland Islands. Byers organized and sent out a fleet of American sealers from New York to the South Shetland Islands in 1820–21.
See also
- Camp ByersCamp ByersCamp Byers is a Spanish seasonal base camp on Byers Peninsula, Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica. The area was visited by early 19th century sealers.-Location:...
- Camp LivingstonCamp Livingston (Antarctica)Camp Livingston is an Argentine seasonal base camp on Byers Peninsula, Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica. The area was visited by early 19th century sealers.-Location:...
- Livingston Island
Maps
- Península Byers, Isla Livingston. Mapa topográfico a escala 1:25000. Madrid: Servicio Geográfico del Ejército, 1992.
- 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, 2009. ISBN 978-954-92032-6-4 (Second edition 2010, ISBN 978-954-92032-9-5)
