A graveyard on an inhospitable island has been vandalised.

Deception Island on the Peninsula is arguably the only true tourist destination on the Frozen Continent, attracting more than 15,000 visitors last year. The former whaling station was abandoned by the British in 1969 after a huge volcanic eruption covered hundreds of whale carcasses in 2m of ash.

To this day, the remains of humpbacks lie beneath the surface of the beach, a few bones poking up through the sand where penguins waddle and seals bask. Antarctica is governed by stringent rules that are designed to protect one of the most remote and pristine parts of the world. These rules limit how many people can walk on the land at one time and even stop tourists from sitting down or touching the snow.

Although Deception Island's abandoned buildings are now slowly rotting into the ground, they act as an open-air museum and a reminder of the horrific whaling trade that brought the world's humpback population close to destruction.

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Last week a visitor to the island decided to slap graffiti onto the side of one of those buildings, prompting outrage from IATOO - the organisation which controls tourism in Antarctica.

"Travelling to Antarctica and witnessing its majesty first-hand is an immense privilege – one that comes with a responsibility to leave the region as you found it, leaving nothing but footprints and taking nothing but memories and photographs. The recent appearance of graffiti at Whaler’s Bay, Deception Island, has left the IAATO community shocked and disgusted. This thoughtless vandalism was NOT perpetrated by a visitor travelling with an IAATO member. Still, together with the entire polar community, we certainly feel its impact," the organisation said in a statement.

"With consistent, robust Antarctic protections in mind, IAATO came into being more than three decades ago, a global, non-profit industry alliance dedicated to promoting and advocating for safe and responsible private-sector travel to the White Continent within the framework of the Antarctic Treaty System.

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"In addition to creating robust guidance to which our members adhere, IAATO espouses a commitment to protecting the region, which involves monitoring sites and reporting new or unusual developments to the Antarctic Treaty. We’d like to thank our members for reporting this discovery and have submitted all information and photographs to the relevant Antarctic authorities.

"Anyone travelling to Antarctica has a responsibility to do so respectfully. We advise anyone planning to travel to the region to learn their obligations before they visit and select a tour operator with a safe and environmentally responsible ethos at its core."

On Facebook members of the public reacted to the graffiti. One man said: "That is tragic. So sad to see that." Another added: "Sad to see this. No respect at all."