287:
349:
143:
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277:
He described the body as being long and fat, and thinning towards the tail. He said the creature had a thick fur coat, which was gray on the back and reddish-white on the belly. He did not see any forelimbs or pectoral fins. The tail apparently had two fins, the upper fin double the size of the lower
221:
stalk about 5.5–7.5 m (3–4 fathoms; 18–24 feet) long floated by, the creature quickly swam towards it and grabbed it with its mouth. The creature then swam closer to the ship and, purportedly, did juggling tricks with it like a trained monkey, though eating pieces of it now and again. Steller's
225:
Steller attempted to collect the animal, so he took a gun and fired at it, but missed. He reported that the creature disappeared for a moment, but quickly came back, frightened, and once again gradually neared the ship. Steller fired at it again, but missed or only wounded the creature, which swam
423:, as fur seals in a playful mood have been known to exhibit the observed behaviors, and swim with their fore-flipper tucked in, which may have given the impression of completely lacking forelimbs in a low light setting. Also, Steller had made his account before he had ever encountered a fur seal.
213:
The creature purportedly stared at the ship for two hours, according to
Steller, seemingly out of admiration. It got so close to the ship that it could have been poked by a pole, but would swim farther out whenever the crew attempted to approach. He said it raised a third of its body out of the
98:
in Alaska. The animal was described as being around 1.5 m (5 feet) long; with a dog-like head; long drooping whiskers; an elongated but robust body; thick fur coat; no limbs; and tail fins much like a shark. He described the creature as being playful and inquisitive like a monkey. After
345:, said it was likely a snake, and Gessner said that it had a covering more like a turtle, and the creature was reportedly green and hairless overall. At least five years had passed since Steller last saw or read a description of Gessner's sea ape to when he had described his account.
306:
All
Steller's writings regarding his expedition were published posthumously, but most of his writings were lost. His account of the creature was detailed in his diary, published in two installments by Prussian zoologist
214:
water, maintaining a human-like posture, for several minutes. After a half hour, the creature dove under the water and swam underneath the ship to the other side, and did this repeatedly about 30 times.
270:(1.8 m) long, the combined length of the forearm and extended hand. It purportedly had a dog-like head, with pointed and erect ears, large eyes, and whiskers on the upper and lower lips resembling a
319:
I describe the traces of a certain unknown animal upon the island of
Shumagin, and I insert a sketch of a sea ape, and with this imperfect account I must content myself and others.
250:. They reported the creature as being about 1.5 m (5 feet) long, and having 10–13-centimeter (4–5-inch) reddish-yellow fur, and a face resembling that of the dog breed
713:(1815). "Ueberblick der Säugthiere nach ihrer Vertheilung über die Weltlheile" [Overview of Mammals and their Distribution over the World].
748:
552:
497:
408:
142:
796:
333:
299:
348:
177:
286:
781:
618:"Monstrosities from the Sea. Taxonomy and tradition in Conrad Gessner's (1516–1565) discussion of cetaceans and sea-monsters"
222:
description of it as a sea-monkey probably stemmed more from such behavior rather than actual resemblance to a monkey.
710:
385:
520:
337:– based on its resemblance, strange behavior, rapid movements, and playfulness. However, the man who first reported "
99:
observing it for two hours, he attempted to shoot and collect the creature, but missed, and the creature swam away.
786:
791:
578:
489:
199:
776:
526:
540:
373:
246:, his daughter Clio and his friend Henry Combe purportedly saw a similar creature on the northern coast of
753:
Isis: Encyclopädische
Zeitschrift, vorzüglich für Naturgeschichte, vergleichende Anatomie und Physiologie
665:
568:
479:
361:
432:
737:. Bulletin of the United States Geological and Geographical Survey of the Territories. p. 499.
203:
103:
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516:
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271:
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in 1882, with new species listed for seemingly no reason without description or justification.
732:
679:
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123:
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728:
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629:
437:
401:
342:
207:
149:
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63:
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572:
210:, Alaska, Steller reported a strange and unidentifiable creature floating near the ship.
633:
592:
369:
328:
294:
734:
Preliminary List of Works and Papers
Relating to the Mammalian Orders Cete and Sirenia
770:
669:
617:
243:
187:
91:
87:
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several new species during the voyage. At around sunset on August 10, 1741, near
247:
163:
392:, but this work in particular was later called a "worthless conglomeration" of
442:
420:
251:
397:
393:
377:
218:
102:
There have been four attempts to scientifically classify the creature,
17:
642:
67:
605:] (in Latin). In Bibliopolio Andreae Cambieri. pp. 877–878.
311:
in 1781 and 1793. He also made a small note in his most famous book
751:(1835). Oken, Lorenz (ed.). "Die Wallfische" [The Whales].
715:
Abhandlungen der Königlich
Preussischen Akademie der Wissenschaften
347:
285:
235:
699:. Vol. 1. Thomas Davison, White-Friars. pp. 247–248.
267:
254:. Mr. Smeeton details this 10–15 second encounter in his book
574:
The Fur Seals and Fur-Seal
Islands of the North Pacific Ocean
522:
Georg
Wilhelm Steller, the pioneer of Alaskan natural history
571:(1899) . "On the Beasts of the Sea". In Jones, D. S. (ed.).
315:, calling it an "imperfect account" for lack of a specimen:
411:
noticed that
Steller's sea ape very closely resembled the
258:, noting Steller's observations closely matched his own.
678:]. Ichthyologiae (in Latin). Grypeswaldiæ. p.
73:
59:
51:
43:
35:
368:. In 1800, on recommendation by Welsh naturalist
317:
696:General zoology, or Systematic natural history
364:scientifically described Steller's sea ape as
327:" – which was illustrated in Swiss naturalist
122:. Most likely, Steller simply misidentified a
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472:
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468:
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462:
460:
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8:
30:
511:
509:
266:Steller reported the creature as being two
577:. Translated by Miller, W.; Miller, J. E.
485:Journal of a Voyage with Bering, 1741–1742
415:. Similarly, in 1936, Norwegian zoologist
641:
759:. Jena: Friedrich Arnold Brockhaus: 715.
419:said Steller likely observed a bachelor
454:
29:
409:Wilhelm Gottlieb Tilesius von Tilenau
7:
634:10.5252/anthropozoologica2018v53a11
323:Steller assigned this creature to "
388:also described it as a manatee as
217:Steller stated that, when a large
25:
671:Petri Artedi Sueci Genera piscium
352:Steller may have misidentified a
676:Swede Peter Artedi's fish genera
400:species by American mammalogist
181:Locations of purported sightings
162:
148:
141:
94:on August 10, 1741, around the
90:, observed by German zoologist
1:
547:. Grafton. pp. 109–110.
226:away. It was not seen again.
161:
147:
384:. In 1815, German zoologist
407:In 1805, German naturalist
386:Johann Karl Wilhelm Illiger
360:In 1792, German naturalist
813:
797:18th century in the Arctic
488:. Translated by Engel, M.
579:Stanford University Press
490:Stanford University Press
482:(1993). Frost, O. (ed.).
200:Great Northern Expedition
527:Harvard University Press
382:Trichechus hydropithecus
278:fin, much like a shark.
116:Trichechus hydropithecus
27:Purported marine mammal
603:History of the animals
357:
321:
303:
782:1741 in North America
616:Hendrikx, S. (2018).
362:Johann Julius Walbaum
351:
341:", Italian biologist
289:
234:In June 1965, on his
372:, English zoologist
178:class=notpageimage|
529:. pp. 278–281.
376:classified it as a
32:
598:Historia animalium
492:. pp. 82–83.
417:Leonhard Stejneger
358:
334:Historia animalium
313:De Bestiis Marinus
309:Peter Simon Pallas
304:
300:Historia animalium
272:Fu Manchu mustache
190:, aboard the ship
787:Purported mammals
711:Illiger, J. K. W.
693:Shaw, G. (1800).
622:Anthropozoologica
554:978-0-246-13489-9
545:The Misty Islands
499:978-0-8047-2181-3
433:Steller's sea cow
413:northern fur seal
366:Siren cynocephala
354:northern fur seal
186:German zoologist
124:northern fur seal
112:Siren cynocephala
84:Steller's sea ape
81:
80:
31:Steller's sea ape
16:(Redirected from
804:
792:Shumagin Islands
761:
760:
745:
739:
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725:
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717:(in German): 53.
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607:
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583:
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531:
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517:Stejneger, L. H.
513:
504:
503:
476:
438:Steller sea lion
402:Joel Asaph Allen
343:Gerolamo Cardano
282:Research history
208:Shumagin Islands
166:
156:Shumagin Islands
152:
145:
135:Original account
96:Shumagin Islands
64:Aleutian Islands
33:
21:
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777:1741 in science
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749:Tilesius, W. G.
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86:is a purported
77:Lives in oceans
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666:Walbaum, J. J.
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581:. p. 181.
569:Steller, G. W.
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480:Steller, G. W.
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370:Thomas Pennant
329:Conrad Gessner
295:Conrad Gessner
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230:Other accounts
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44:First attested
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755:(in German).
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390:Manatus simia
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244:Miles Smeeton
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205:
202:(1733–1743),
201:
197:
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188:Georg Steller
179:
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134:
129:
127:
125:
121:
120:Manatus simia
117:
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109:
105:
100:
97:
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92:Georg Steller
89:
88:marine mammal
85:
76:
72:
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65:
62:
58:
55:United States
54:
50:
46:
42:
38:
34:
19:
756:
752:
743:
733:
729:Allen, J. A.
723:
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521:
484:
406:
389:
381:
365:
359:
338:
332:
325:Simia marina
324:
322:
318:
312:
305:
298:
291:Simia marina
290:
276:
265:
256:Misty Island
255:
242:), a sailor
239:
233:
224:
216:
212:
196:Vitus Bering
191:
185:
119:
115:
111:
108:Simia marina
107:
101:
83:
82:
628:(11): 136.
593:Gessner, C.
541:Smeeton, M.
374:George Shaw
262:Description
248:Atka Island
170:Atka Island
771:Categories
643:1887/67726
449:References
443:Waitoreke
339:S. marina
204:described
192:St. Peter
104:described
39:Mammalian
731:(1882).
668:(1792).
652:54212091
595:(1604).
543:(1969).
519:(1936).
427:See also
421:fur seal
398:cetacean
394:sirenian
331:'s book
252:shih-tzu
240:Tzu Hang
130:Accounts
36:Grouping
378:manatee
356:(above)
219:seaweed
74:Details
52:Country
18:Sea Ape
650:
551:
496:
118:, and
68:Alaska
60:Region
674:[
648:S2CID
601:[
236:ketch
549:ISBN
494:ISBN
396:and
268:ells
47:1741
680:560
638:hdl
630:doi
380:as
297:'s
293:in
198:'s
194:on
106:as
773::
757:28
646:.
636:.
626:53
624:.
620:.
525:.
508:^
457:^
274:.
126:.
114:,
110:,
66:,
682:.
654:.
640::
632::
557:.
502:.
238:(
20:)
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