Pribilof Islands, a group of four islands in the Bering Sea. They are part of the state of Alaska and lie about 350 miles (560 km) southwest of the mainland, and 250 miles (400 km) north of the Aleutian Islands. The largest are St. Paul (35 square miles [91 km2]) and St. George (27 square miles [70 km2]), which are 50 miles (80 km) apart. Walrus and Otter are tiny islands off the coast of St. Paul. The islands were discovered by Gerasim Pribilof, a Russian fur hunter, in 1786. Aleuts were then brought to the islands to hunt seals for the Russians, and many of their descendants still inhabit the islands. The Pribilof Islands came under the control of the United States as part of Alaska in 1867.