acs ▁or ▁natural ▁c aves . ▁Living ston ▁Island ▁became ▁the ▁most ▁popul ous ▁place ▁in ▁Ant arct ica ▁for ▁a ▁time , ▁its ▁inhabitants ▁exceed ing ▁ 2 0 0 ▁in ▁number ▁during ▁the ▁ 1 8 2 0 – 2 3 ▁South ▁Sh et lands ▁se aling ▁r ush . ▁The ▁principal ▁se aler ▁‘ sett lement s ’ ▁on ▁the ▁island ▁were ▁situated ▁on ▁By ers ▁Pen ins ula ▁near ▁Nik opol ▁Point , ▁Se aler ▁Hill , ▁Neg ro ▁Hill , ▁R ish ▁Point , ▁S par ad ok ▁Point , ▁La ir ▁Point ▁and ▁Var ad ero ▁Point , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁at ▁Cape ▁Sh ir re ff ▁and ▁Ele ph ant ▁Point . ▁ ▁Rem n ants ▁of ▁h uts , ▁boats ▁and ▁other ▁se aler ▁equipment ▁and ▁belong ings ▁are ▁still ▁present ▁at ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁By ers ▁Pen ins ula ▁sites , ▁which ▁have ▁become ▁the ▁subject ▁of ▁system atic ▁arch ae ological ▁research . ▁Some ▁ 2 6 ▁human ▁shelter ▁structures ▁have ▁been ▁identified ▁there , ▁the ▁nearest ▁ones ▁to ▁Ivan ov ▁Beach ▁situated ▁east ▁of ▁S par ad ok ▁Point . ▁However , ▁the ▁beach ▁itself ▁is ▁believed ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁visited ▁only ▁very ▁rarely , ▁or ▁never , ▁and ▁de emed ▁free ▁of ▁non - native ▁plants . ▁In ▁order ▁to ▁protect ▁its ▁pr ist ine ▁environment , ▁the ▁beach ▁has ▁been ▁placed ▁under ▁a ▁particularly ▁strict ▁bio security ▁regime . ▁ ▁Prote ction ▁status ▁ ▁Ex cept ▁for ▁its ▁off sh