Bering Expeditions (First and Second Kamchatka)

The Bering expeditions were Russian voyages of exploration led by the Danish-born navigator Vitus Bering (1681–1741) in the 1720s and 1730s–40s. The first, in 1728, passed through the strait that now bears his name, and the second, part of the Great Northern Expedition, reached the Gulf of Alaska in 1741. Survivors returned with reports of fur-trading prospects in the Aleutians and Alaska that began the Russian fur trade in the region [1].

Vitus Bering

Vitus Bering was born in 1681 in Horsens, Denmark. After a voyage to the East Indies he joined Tsar Peter I’s fleet as a sublieutenant. In 1724 Peter named him leader of an expedition to determine whether Asia and North America were joined by land [1].

The First Expedition (1728)

Bering sailed from Kamchatka on July 13, 1728, and passed through the strait into the Arctic Ocean in August. Bad weather limited his observations, and he did not sight North America, but he concluded that Siberia and America were not connected [1].

The Great Northern Expedition

Bering’s proposed second expedition grew into the larger Great Northern Expedition of 1733–43, a Russian effort that mapped much of Siberia’s Arctic coast [1].

The 1741 Voyage

Bering sailed from Kamchatka on June 4, 1741, in the St. Peter, with Aleksey Chirikov commanding the St. Paul. A storm separated the ships. Bering reached the Gulf of Alaska on August 20 and surveyed mainly the Alaska Peninsula and the Aleutians. Scurvy weakened his command, and his ship was wrecked in early November on Bering Island. After the separation, Chirikov discovered several Aleutian Islands on his own [1].

Death and Aftermath

Bering died on December 19, 1741, on Bering Island near Kamchatka, aged 60. Survivors reached Siberia and reported good fur-trading prospects in the Aleutians and Alaska [1].

Legacy

The reports led Russian traders to pursue sea otter furs in the Aleutians and beyond, the start of the trade that the Russian-American Company later organized. See the entries on the Russian-American Company and the fur trade in Russian America.

FAQs

Who was Vitus Bering? A Danish-born navigator in Russian service who explored the Bering Strait and Gulf of Alaska.

What did Bering find in 1728? The strait between Asia and North America, though he did not sight North America.

When did Bering reach Alaska? He reached the Gulf of Alaska on August 20, 1741.

How did Bering die? He died on Bering Island on December 19, 1741, after his ship was wrecked.

What was the Great Northern Expedition? A large Russian expedition of 1733–43 that mapped much of Siberia’s Arctic coast.

Sources

1. Encyclopaedia Britannica: Vitus Bering

Editorially reviewed by Specialty Digest Editorial TeamLast reviewed November 12, 2026Researched and drafted with AI assistanceReport an issue