HABITAT REQUIREMENTS 



Sea otters inhabit waters of the open coast of the North Pacific 

 Ocean. Although they enter bays on outer sea coasts, there is no 

 evidence that they ever occupied inland waters far from the sea, 

 such as Puget Sound and the extensive inside passages of the 

 Alexander Archipelago of Southeastern Alaska. 



They obtain food from the ocean bottom and are seldom seen 

 in waters deeper than 30 fathoms (54 m.), indicating that this 

 may be the approximate limit of their feeding habitat. 



Since sea otters are often seen sleeping and diving for food in 

 and near kelp beds (Alaria, Macrocystis, and Nereocystis) , it has 

 often been assumed that kelp beds are a habitat requirement. That 

 this is not true is demonstrated by the fact that a large, permanent 

 sea otter population remains throughout the year in the Bering 

 Sea off Unimak Island and off the western tip of the Alaska 

 Peninsula. There are no kelp beds here and in certain other areas 

 occupied by permanent sea otter populations. 



In general, however, sea otters favor waters adjacent to rocky 

 coasts near points of land, or large bays where kelp beds occur. 

 Coasts adjacent to extensive areas of underwater reefs are partic- 

 ularly attractive. In such areas, especially where large rocks or 

 islets are located near shore, some feeding and resting areas are 

 sheltered from wind and storm waves regardless of their direction 

 (fig. 29). 



In the Aleutian and Shumagin Islands sea otters regularly haul 

 out on land and they may do so elsewhere. Rocky points are 

 favored but sand beaches, islets, or spits are sometimes used. 

 When a sea otter comes ashore it usually remains within about 

 1 to 6 m. of the water. Where human disturbance is minimal, as 

 on some Aleutian islands, I have found them sleeping in grass 

 (Elymus) as far as 50 to 75 m. from the water. Sea otters tend to 

 concentrate and form colonies in areas which offer an abundant 

 invertebrate bottom fauna and sheltered feeding and resting 

 areas. 



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