THE SEA OTTER IN THE EASTERN PACIFIC OCEAN 135 



Barabash-Nikiforov (1947) and Nikolaev (1960) indicate that 

 on the east coast of Siberia the sea otter may have ranged to 

 64° N. The records, however, are vague. Gulin (1952) photo- 

 graphed the skin of a sea otter said to have been taken by local 

 hunters at Lavrentiya (65°08' N. lat, 171° E. long.) near Bering 

 Strait on the Chukotsk Peninsula. No date or other specific data 

 are given. Such a casual report in a popular magazine of a sea 

 otter so far north of the usual range must be regarded v^^ith 

 skepticism. 



Specific records as far north as 64° do not appear to be available. 

 Gribkov (1963) says that the known boundary of the sea otter's 

 range is 57° N. on the east coast of Kamchatka but mentions that 

 in 1960 sea otters "were bagged" north of this point. 



The occurrence of a permanent sea otter population in the 

 northern Bering Sea or Arctic Ocean where the sea freezes is 

 quite unlikely. That a stray otter might have traveled north with 

 pack ice in spring from the lower limit of winter drift ice in 

 southern Bristol Bay and the southeastern shore of Kamchatka, 

 is a possibility. Retreating winter ice might account for the pres- 

 ence of three sea otters at the Pribilofs in 1889, 1892, and 1896 

 (Preble and McAtee, 1923) long after they were extirpated there. 

 A sighting in Norton Sound (64° N.) in June 1941, was reported 

 by Frank Glaser (in Lensink, 1958). 



In general it is true today, as it was in early times, that the 

 prosperous sea otter colonies are south of areas where sea ice 

 forms regularly and remains for long periods in winter months. 



The environmental factors that control the southern limit of 

 distribution, other than predation by man and environmental 

 pollution caused by him today, are unknown. Additional sources 

 of information on aboriginal distribution are cited by Barabash- 

 Nikiforov (1947). 



POPULATION REDUCTION 

 THROUGH EXPLOITATION 



Intensive exploitation of the sea otter by Europeans began with 

 the voyage of Vitus Bering in 1741 and continued unregulated for 

 170 years. Exploitation was halted and protection was given to the 

 sea otter by international treaty in 1911.^ 



3 Convention between the United States, Great Britain, Russia, and Japan for the preserva- 

 tion and protection of fur seals. Proclaimed 14 December 1911 and approved 24 August 1912. 

 Article V of this Convention extended protection to the sea otter. Further protection was ex- 

 tended by the "Presidential Proclamation for the preservation and protection of fur seals and 

 sea otter," signed by Woodrow Wilson on 31 May 1913, and an "Executive order regarding 

 the protection of fur seals and sea otters," signed by Calvin Coolidge on 14 January 1929 

 (U.S. Bureau of Fisheries, 1929). 



