Table 1. — Grouping of 



sighted during pelagic sealing research, 1958-63 



Does not include 1,077 seals sighted but grouping not recorded. 



observed were found in or near schools of 

 food species, and they dispersed after feeding. 

 Data collected in 1962 and 1963 indicate that 

 the fur seal is more solitary on its summer 

 range in the Bering Sea than on other parts 

 of its ocean range. 



Appendix tables 5 and 6 summarize the 

 records of seals sighted, collected, wounded 

 and lost, and killed and lost for 1958 through 

 1963. 



Distribution by Age and Sex 



Of 1,355 seals collected in 1963. Ill (8.2 

 percent) were males and 1,244 (91.8 percent) 

 females. Thirteen females of indeterminable 

 age were classified in the tables as unknown. 



Table 2 gives the age and sex of seals 

 collected in 1963. Five-year-old females from 

 the 1958 year class predominated in collection 

 of females. The strength of the 1958 year 

 class was also noted in former pelagic collec- 

 tions (Fiscus, Baines, and Wilke, 1964) and in 

 the harvest of fur seals on the Pribilof Islands 

 in 1962 (Roppel, Johnson, Bauer, Chapman, 

 and Wilke, 1963). Nearly one-third of the males 

 collected in 1963 were 2-year-olds. 



The relative distribution of male and female 

 seals was fairly uniform in the Bering Sea 

 in 1963 except in three sectors. In early 

 July, 8 of 22 seals collected 140-186 miles 

 south of St. George Island (sector- zone 1-6 



and 1-7) were males 1 to 5 years old. In an 

 area 90-120 miles southwest of St. George 

 Island (sector-zone 2-4 and 2-5), 4 of 10 

 seals collected in mid-July were males 3 to 

 5 years old. The area in which the seals were 

 collected suggested movement of young male 

 seals from Asian waters to the Pribilof Islands. 



Post partum females predominated among 

 seals collected in early July (sectors 1 and 2, 

 zones 3 and 4) within 90 miles of the islands 

 (fig. 2). From mid-July to early September, 

 post partum females also predominated in 

 feeding areas of the outer zones (zones 4-7). 



From late July through most of August, a 

 high incidence of young males in collections 

 made 30-40 miles southwest of St, George 

 Island (sector-zone 2-2) suggested an influx 

 of late arriving young males from the western 

 Pacific. 



The first adult males found away from the 

 Pribilof Islands were seen 31 July from 5 to 

 20 miles northwest of Billings Head, Akun 

 Island (sector-zone 1-7). Of seven observed, 

 two thin animals 8 and 12 years old were 

 collected. The condition of these seals in- 

 dicated that they had held harems on the 

 Pribilof Islands during the breeding season. 

 Five more adult nnales were seen off Cape 

 Cheerful, Unalaska Island, (sector-zone 1-7) 

 1-8 August. A thin 12- year-old collected also 

 probably had been a breeding male. In mid- 

 August, seven adult males were observed 

 5-10 miles northwest of St. Paul Island 

 (sector-zone 4-1). Sixteen adult males were 



