The Fate of Steller's Sea Cow

At one time Steller's Sea Cow inhabited the Pacific Ocean from Japan to California, but changes in climate reduced the area to the Aleutian Islands in Alaska. Unlike manatees and dugongs, the sea cow could live in very cold water. It was there that a Russian explorer, Captain Vitus Bering, discovered the sea cow. He and his crew were forced to spend a winter in Alaska when their ship became stranded in 1741. Sea cows were much larger than manatees and dugongs. They grew up to 35 feet long and weighed up to three and a half tons. That's as big as a large truck!

Steller's sea cows did not have any teeth. They ate the marine algae that grew in the shallow waters of the Bering Sea and were already rare with only around 1,000 to 2,000 of them. They were slow-moving and had no fear of humans which made it easy for Captain Bering's crew to kill them. Hunters ate the meat and used the tough skin for making boat covers and shoe leather. They hunted the sea cow so much that sadly, it disappeared completely.  In 1768, less than 30 years after it had been discovered, the defenseless, trusting sea cow became extinct.

It's amazing that an entire species can be completely wiped out in 27 years! That is why it is important that we protect the remaining population of manatees.  We don't want the same thing to happen to them! The remainder of my page provides information and ways to fight against a dreaded fate.