Steller's Sea Cow

The Steller’s sea cow was a massive marine mammal belonging to the dugong family. It was named after Georg Wilhelm Steller, the naturalist who first described it. In 1741, during Steller’s voyage with Vitus Bering, they discovered these animals near the Commander Islands in what is now the Bering Sea. Historically, the species had a wider distribution, but populations declined due to climate change, hunting by indigenous peoples, and competition with other species. The population discovered during Bering’s expedition was the last known group. Shortly after their discovery, they were heavily hunted by humans, leading to their extinction in 1768—just 27 years after being first observed and described.