Steller's Sea Ape
On a voyage to Alaska in 1741, a respected naturalist watched a strange animal with a dog-like head and a tail like a shark's play beside his ship.
What was reported
In August 1741, Georg Steller, the naturalist on Vitus Bering's expedition to Alaska, described an animal that swam around the ship near the Shumagin Islands for two hours. It was about 1.5 metres long, with a head like a dog's, large eyes, long whiskers and a tail divided like a shark's, and it played with a piece of seaweed.
Steller was a careful observer who described many animals for the first time, including the Steller's sea cow and the Steller's jay. He called this one a sea ape.
Explanations offered
No animal matching his description is known. Suggestions include a young fur seal, a sea otter, or an unusual or deformed seal seen in poor conditions. Because Steller was so reliable, the sea ape remains a puzzle.
- When
- August 1741
- Where
- Shumagin Islands, Alaska, USA
- Witnesses
- Naturalist Georg Steller
- Status
- Unidentified
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.