Steller's island : adventures of a pioneer naturalist in Alaska

Book

Steller's island : adventures of a pioneer naturalist in Alaska / Dean Littlepage.

Summary:

"In 1741, a Russian ship captained by Vitus Bering carried the first scientist to set foot anywhere in the western half of North America. Sailing to the coast of Alaska, George Steller employed an insatiable curiosity and acute powers of observation to record the first European accounts of the sea otter, sea lion, and northern fur seal. His is the only scientific account of the Steller's sea cow before it was hunted to extinction. But his knowledge of the region's plants and animals and the ways of the indigenous people was not merely academic - it saved the lives of the crew several times over. The legacy of the man whose name graces the Steller's jay, Steller's cider, and Steller sea lion endures to this day."

"Stellar's Island is a fascinating tale of exploration in the era of sailing ships. It is about courage and scientific curiosity, even in uncharted waters, alien lands, and desperate circumstances, undaunted in the face of storms, scurvy, and shipwreck."--Jacket.

Record details

ISBN: 1594850577
ISBN: 9781594850578
Physical Description: 237 pages : illustrations, maps ; 23 cm
Edition: 1st ed.
Publisher: Seattle, WA : Mountaineers Books, 2006.

Content descriptions

Bibliography, etc. Note:: Includes bibliographical references (pages 213-226) and index.
Formatted Contents Note:: Key people on Vitus Bering's Second Kamchatka Expedition -- Chronology : Steller and the voyage to America -- Steller's "Beasts of the sea" -- Prologue : out of Cordova -- Cape St. Elias -- Blue jays and chocolate -- Autumn in the islands -- Otters, bears, lions, and cows -- Kayak Island -- Epilogue : the legacy of Steller and the expedition.