Steller's Sea Cow / Steller's Sea Monkey

Steller's sea cow, also known as the sea monkey, is a mysterious creature that has fascinated researchers since the 18th century. Discovered by Wilhelm Georg Steller, these enormous, herbivorous aquatic mammals could reach lengths of up to 10.6 meters. Unfortunately, due to intensive hunting, they became extinct within just 27 years of their description. However, some argue that sea cows may still exist, and sporadic evidence of their presence encourages further research into this intriguing species.

Distant relatives of elephants, manatees and dugongs are herbivorous aquatic mammals belonging to the order Sirenia. They have webbed limbs. Today, the largest sirenian is the West Indian manatee (Trichechus manatus), reaching 4.5 meters in length. However, much larger sirenians, known as sea cows, once existed, discovered by the German zoologist, explorer, and explorer Wilhelm Georg Steller in 1741.These animals reached 10.6 meters in length and weighed several tons. They lived primarily in Kamchatka, as well as around Copper Island and nearby Bering Island. Strangely enough, Steller's ship became stranded somewhere between these islands, and the explorer himself decided to study and describe these animals in detail. The rest of the crew either admired them or killed them for food. At the time, these animals were very numerous, but soon after Steller brought their description back to Europe, they became completely extinct, as they were a highly sought-after source of meat for other travelers venturing into the Kamchatka region. They were exterminated within 27 years. Officially, the species has been considered extinct ever since.

However, sailors traveling in these areas often see "huge animals resembling manatees," and sometimes even their carcasses washed ashore. For example, during an 1879 expedition on the yacht VEGA, Baron Erik Nordenskjold, after reaching Bering Island, heard from the natives that sea cows still lived there, were still slaughtered, and that their skins were used to make boats .

A skeleton of a sea cow at the Swedish Museum of Natural History in Stockholm

Perhaps sea cows haven't completely died out? Research is still underway in this direction.