Steller’s Seacow
Songs & Audio
Apart from whales, Steller’s sea cow was one of the largest mammals to survive into recent times. This gentle marine giant could grow to around eight metres, or 26 feet, long and may have weighed several tonnes. On Infinity, it now swims far out in the Sea of Tranquillity.
Steller’s sea cows lived in the cold waters around the Commander Islands in the Bering Sea. They fed on kelp and were slow-moving, which made them easy targets for hunters.
After being described by European science in the eighteenth century, Steller’s sea cows were hunted for their meat, fat and thick skin. Within just 27 years, the species had vanished.
Story Role
Stella appears in the adventure ‘The End of Infinity’.
Steller’s Sea Cows were some of the most docile and friendly creatures you could hope to meet and Stella swims around the edge of Infinity island. Although they like the big, gentle sea cow, other creatures on Infinity are wary of her, mostly because she will keep on insisting that she’s not extinct at all and that she came ‘from the stars!’
Did You Know?
Sea cows were enormous. Some individuals reached up to nine metres long.
They lived in cold northern waters. Unlike tropical manatees, Steller’s sea cows survived in icy seas.
They floated because of thick fat layers. Their bodies were highly adapted for cold ocean conditions.