According to the fossil record during the last Ice Age, Steller’s sea cow once ranged on the coastlines of the Pacific from Japan in Asia northward and all the way down the western coast of North America as far south as California. By the time it was discovered by the Russians in 1741, its population had dwindled and could only be found around the Commander Islands. Russian explorer Vitus Bering, for whom the Bering Sea is named, was shipwrecked on the Commander Islands in the Bering Sea. Commander Bering, died and was buried there, which is how the Islands got their name. On the expedition to Alaska to hunt fur seals and the highly prized sea otter, Georg Steller was the naturalist who was sent to record what they found. While shipwrecked, Georg Steller named the Steller's Sea Cow, the Steller's Jay, the Steller's Sea Lion, and the Steller's Sea Eagle. The crew did hunt the Steller's Sea Cows for food, oil, and skins. Steller's crew only ate what they needed to survive before they were able to repair their ship. When they returned home, they spread the word about where to find these huge, easy-to-catch behemoths. Steller’s crew did note how tasty the sea cow was, comparing it to ‘corned beef’, and its blubber as tasting better than butter. Future explorers sought this delicious, gentle giant out on future fur trading expeditions to Alaska. One sea cow could feed a crew for about a month. The Steller’s sea cows were easy to hunt because they showed no fear of people. They stayed close to shore, seemingly unable to swim far out to sea or to dive deep underwater. When a member of their herd was harpooned, other sea cows were noted to come to the aid of the wounded individual, even throwing their bodies on the rope to dislodge the harpoon. During the cold winters, they stayed closer to shore where streams flowing into the sea made the water warmer. It is thought that they could die of hypothermia, which is a similar problem its cousin the West Indian (Florida) manatee faces. Their inability to swim out to sea and relocate in the frigid Arctic Ocean also made them an easy, reliable food source for Russian fur traders. 27 years after they were discovered there were no more. The last Steller's Sea Cow was killed in 1768. Could the Steller’s sea cow live in the Commander Islands today? Although Jurassic Park is fiction, scientists are working on several de-extinction projects. In fact, in 2003 scientists did bring back the extinct Pyrenean ibex, a type of wild goat, for 7 minutes before it died, showing de-extinction is possible. The Steller’s sea cow would be a bad candidate for this. There are some 16 skeletal remains of the Steller’s sea cow, and fossil bone fragments are not that uncommon (in fact you can buy rib bone fragments fossils online), but the de-extinction process requires soft tissue. There are no specimens of the Steller’s sea cow that contain soft tissue. Extracting the needed genetic material from bones and fossils is still not possible. However, in 2021, the nuclear genome was sequenced. The good news is that Russia and the United States have made great strides in protecting the habitat of endangered species and helping rebuild populations. For instance, the Florida government & people have been working together for a long time to keep the Florida manatee from going extinct, like the Steller's sea cow. The manatee is now a proud symbol of Florida. Laws have been put in place to protect the manatees while allowing people to observe and appreciate them. Many Florida businesses also donate portions of their profits and time to help out. The Steller's sea cow could benefit from the intervention of people to help it thrive. If the Steller’s sea cow was brought to life, could it ever be reintroduced to its native homeland around the Commander Islands?