North Pacific High Sea

The Commander Islands stand between Kamchatka and the western Aleutians, in waters frequented by sea otters and fur seals. Vitus Bering's expedition was wrecked on Bering Island in 1741; among the animals observed by its naturalist Georg Steller was the immense sea cow. Hunters later stopped at the islands for fur and meat, and the sea cow was exterminated by 1768.