History Daily - The Extinction of the Great Auk

Episode Date: June 3, 2025

June 3, 1844. After becoming collector’s items for being a rare species, the last pair of great auks is killed by fishermen. Support the show! Join Into History for ad-free listening and more.History Daily is a co-production of Airship and Noiser.Go to HistoryDaily.com for more history, daily.

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a small headland on the southwestern coast of Iceland. 29-year-old English explorer and ornithologist, Alfred Newton, makes his way carefully down a rock-strewn slope to the black volcanic beach below. Alfred has a limb, and he leans heavily on a cane as he descends. But his companion, 35-year-old John Woolley, has no such difficulties, and he's already on the sand. As a cascade of stones skids out from beneath his boots, Alfred slides the last few feet onto the beach. He catches hold of John's shoulder to stop himself from toppling over.

The two men give each other a small nod and then go to work. They come here looking for something very rare and special, a flightless bird called the Great Oak. This bird was once common along the Atlantic coastlines of Northern Europe and America, but there have been a few reported sightings in recent years. Alfred and John have spent several months traveling across Iceland, and they've tracked the last known location of the Great Oak to this remote spot. Even at this time of year, the volcanic coastline is buffeted by cold and stormy weather, But the tall cliffs offer some protection from the wind as the two men set off in search of the birds.

With their long bodies, hooked beaks and striking black and white plumage, the great awks should be easy to spot. At 30 inches tall, they stand roughly the height of a two-year-old child. But after searching the shoreline, Alfred and John find no sign of the birds. As they make their way back along the beach, Alfred's cane strikes something hard and white in the sand. He bends over to pick it up. It's a wing bone, bleached by the salt water. He turns it over to reveal the telltale markings of a hunting knife.

Alfred holds the bone up and waves it at his companion, but John has already found another a short distance away. Frowning, Alfred looks carefully at the sand and spots more white objects just under the surface. With a sinking heart, he realizes that this beach is littered with the skeletons of the bird he spent months searching for. Despite an extensive search of the shore, the bones are the only sign of the Great Ark that Alfred Newton and John Wully will ever find.

Alfred and John have missed their chance, because the Great Ark is already extinct, and the last of its kind was killed 14 years earlier by Icelandic fishermen on June 3, 1844. From Noisor and Airship, I'm Lindsay Graham, and this is History Daily. History is made every day. On this podcast, every day, We tell the true stories of the people and events that shaped our world. Today is June 3, 1844, the extinction of the Great Ark. It's dawn on June 3, 1844, off the coast of southwestern Iceland, 14 years before Alfred Newton and John Woolley's trip to Rakenus.

Icelander Jan Branson pulls at the oars of a fishing boat in time with the 11 other men in his party. Seawater sprays his face, and Jan must blink to clear his vision. but as he does, the sheer cliffs of an island emerge through the mist ahead. Elday is a steep volcanic outcrop that thrusts out of the water almost 250 feet into the air. There's only one safe place to land, but Jan is confident that today's dangerous crossing will be worth it. Over the past few weeks, local fishermen have reported seeing a pair of great ox nesting on Elday Island. In his youth, Jan and his father used to come here to hunt for seabirds, including the ox. He can still remember watching his mother's skin and gut the birds

and the fatty taste of their cooked meat. But in recent years, the Great Oaks seems to have disappeared from the area. That means there's high demand for the birds, and Yon knows that if he can catch one, wealthy collectors in the capital city of Reykjavik will pay handsomely for the prize. But it still won't be easy. The waters around Elbe are treacherous, and as they near the island, the boat pitches and rolls in the waves.

Yon stows his oar and moves deftly to the bow. of the rocking vessel. But just as he's about to leap into the shallows, the boat is caught by a huge wave, taller than the men aboard. The vessel tips precariously and Yon barely hangs on as the wave crashes on top of them. As the others hurried to bail out the water, the rest of Yon's hunting party joins him at the front of the boat. The three men wait for a break in the waves before plunging into the sea. The water is frigid, and the current tugs at their legs, trying to pull them away from the island. But then Jan's feet touch the bottom, and he pushes toward dry land. Yon and his companions soon make it out of the water, and they scramble up the rocks to safety.

Higher up the slope, hundreds of seabirds are nesting, and amid the kitty wakes and gannets, Jan sees a pair of black and white birds far larger than the rest. It's the pair of great ox they've come for. Jan yells at his companions over the crash of the waves and the clamor of bird calls, and they follow him up the hill. As they approach, the ox flee their nest. Jan notices a large speckled egg lodged between the rocks. It would fetch a good price from collectors, so he decides to come back for it after he's caught the parents.

The hunting party follows the ox toward the cliffs. Yon hurts one to a crack in the rocks. The bird flaps its wing helplessly as Yon snatches it up and rings its neck. He tosses the dead bird over his shoulder and goes in search of the other. Yon finds it at the cliff's edge. Yon gives his men silent instructions, and one of them lunges for the ock, catching its feet. He pins the bird down while another man strangles it. They return to the nesting site for the egg, but realize the shells broken, making it worthless.

Yon notices that the wind's picking up, and the waves are fiercer than ever, so he decides it's time to get back to their boat. The men climb carefully down the rocks with bird carcasses over their shoulders. The two younger men then braved the icy water to climb aboard the boat, but Yon hesitates. He's numb with cold and drained from chasing the birds. His companions yell for him to get in the water. The boat is pitching perilously and risks being dashed against the rocks. But Jan doesn't move. Eventually one of the sailors tosses a rope that lands at his feet. Yon takes hold and clings to it as the men pull him through the water back to the boat. Soaking wet, he's dragged on board and then collapses

warily to the deck. But the exhausting efforts will be worth it. The next day, the two dead ox will sell for the equivalent of $1,500. But neither Jan nor any of the other hunters will suspect that the birds they killed on Lday Island were the last of their kind, or that they will go down in history as the men responsible for the extinction of an entire species. Lapset moved to omitted and we're now now in a lot of a lot of stash slas. Oiskohan aik vaughn't over a lot more than piette than pienton Do a good

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It's May 3rd, 1858, in the bustling port of Reykjavik, the capital city of Iceland, 14 years after the last recorded sighting of the Great Alk. English ornithologist Alfred Newton watches anxiously from the dock as porters carry his luggage down a gangplank. Alfred's companion, John Woolley,

opens a chest and checks their equipment. Alfred and John have packed everything they need for four months because they suspect their mission is going to be a difficult and long one. They're planning to stay in Iceland for the entire summer and hope of catching sight of a Great Alk. Alfred and John have been close friends since their student days at Cambridge University, and they share a love of science and zoology. Their quest begins in Reykjavik, where John meets with local bird dealers and hunters, but there have been no recent sightings of the Great Ark. Meanwhile, Alfred scours local libraries for written accounts of the bird and its habitats in the hope of identifying the most likely location they might still be found. But as he compiles their research, Alfred realizes just how rapidly the Great Ark has been disappearing. Once, the bird was a common sight on both sides of the Atlantic, from the shores of Scotland all the way to the east coast of Canada.

But there's been no sightings for years, and Alfred fears he might have had a small part to play in the bird's rapid decline. For as long as great ox and humans have coexisted, both European and Native American hunters have prized the bird for its meat, its soft-down feathers, and large nutrient-rich eggs. But in the 19th century, Europe and North America have been swept by a new craze that's increased demand for species like the Great Oak, collecting. Rare, stuffed animals and preserved eggs now command vast sums of money from wealthy enthusiasts. Even Alfred has joined in, building up an extensive collection of bird eggs,

But collectors like him have unwittingly contributed to the decline of several species. By creating a lucrative market in dead animals, they've encouraged hunters to track down and kill even the rarest and most endangered. Dozens of mammals, birds, fish, and reptiles have already been declared extinct as a result. Alfred hopes that the great auk isn't among them and still survives in some remote part of the world. He thinks that Iceland may be his last best chance to find an oak. He enjoys it. John want to capture the remaining birds and take them home to England for public display and scientific study. At least that way, there'll be some record of the bird after it dies out.

As their summer in Iceland progresses, Alfred and John narrow their search to the southwest. There they stay with a local fisherman who took part in an expedition on Elday Island back in 1844. This fisherman recounts the capture and death of two great ox and their sale to a collector in Reykjavik. He introduces Alfred and John to the rest of the rest of the rest of the rest of the rest of the rest of the rest of the the rest of the men of the expedition, and Alfred and John interview each one, taking detailed notes about their trip to Elday and the last moments of the great oaks that were found there. But still, Alfred and John are no closer to spotting a greatawk themselves. Despite extensive searches of the coastline, they only find bones. After four months in Iceland, they are forced to return to England empty-handed.

On the voyage home, Alfred and John conclude that the two birds killed during the 1844 expedition to Elday Island, were likely the last survivors. They make plans for a return trip the following year to confirm that the Great Alc is extinct, but that winter John falls ill and dies at the age of just 36. In his will, John leaves his entire wildlife collection and extensive notes to Alfred. Alfred is devastated by John's death

and vows to honor their friendship by publishing as much of John's work as possible, and he begins with the fate of the Great Alk. Alfred spends the next three years writing up their experiences together, and in October 1861, he publishes an article about their failed quest for the Great Ark. But that magazine article is just the beginning. Alfred's study of the auks' extinction makes him realize the value of conserving wildlife and the need to protect other species from a similar fate. He begins studying other seabirds that have been driven to near extinction

by human activity and advocates for the protection of all wildlife from overhunting. Then, in 1866, Alfred will become the first professor of zoology and comparative anatomy at Cambridge University. And there he'll educate and influence Britain's most promising young scientists in the hope that the next generation will take better care of the natural world and defenseless creatures like the lost Great Alk. We're not even making even nuckuman this assunos. How can't this tiny can be able to take care? T, good pout.

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Alfred Newton became Professor of Zool at Cambridge University

The 39-year-old Alfred still limps as he makes his way to a podium accompanied by a smattering of quiet applause. The lecture hall is packed with members of the British Association for the Advancement of Science, and Alfred can see some of the audience yawning and leaning back in their chairs. It's the end of a long meeting, and they're expecting another dry talk on natural history. But Alfred has something else in mind.

Speaking passionately, he describes how animals once common across the farms and fields of England are vanishing at an alarming rate. He rails against the extermination of birds of prey by gamekeepers and laments that thousands of other birds killed every year so their feathers can adorn women's hats. Alfred argues that each species has its place in the ecosystem and that mankind must protect wildlife from extinction. He tells his audience that if they do not take action now,

they will receive few thanks from posterity. After Alfred is finished, the lecture hall erupts into a far more enthusiastic round of applause and the one that greeted him at the start. And the impact of Alfred's work is soon felt beyond the scientific community. The next day, newspapers praise his impassioned speech, promoting his novel ideas to the general public.

Alfred continues speaking out on behalf of wildlife at every opportunity, and his dedication soon pays off. The following year, British politicians enact the Seabirds Preservation Act, which makes it illegal to hunt seabirds during their breeding seasons. And in 1891, the Society for the Preservation protection of birds is formed to campaign against all forms of bird hunting. But it will come too late for the Great Ork and countless other species like it. Today, the last Great Oak killed

during Jan Branson's expedition can still be seen in the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences in Brussels. Stuffed and mounted on a wooden board, it is a reminder of what can be lost when the natural world is viewed as only a resource to exploit and not a gift to be nourished. Despite the efforts of scientists like Alfred Newton. It is a lesson many still haven't learned. Over 150 years after the last great awks were killed on Elday Island on June 3, 1844. Next on History Daily, June 4, 1783, two French siblings hold a public demonstration of their new invention, the hot air balloon.

From Noisor and Airship, this is History Daily, hosted, edited, and executive produced by me, Lindsay Graham, audio editing by Mohamed Shazzy, sound designed by designed by Gabriel Gould. Supervising sound designer, Matthew Filler. Music by Thrum. This episode is written in research by Lauren Sudworth, edited by Scott Reeves. Managing producer Emily Burke, executive producers are William Simpson for airship and Pascal Hughes for Noiser.