THE SEA OTTER IN THE EASTERN PACIFIC OCEAN 139 



of unregulated hunting are indicated by (1) areas where large 

 populations are found today, and (2) areas where sea otters were 

 taken shortly before and after 1911. Fragmentary data on otters 

 that were taken between 1906 and 1936 are reviewed briefly 

 below. 



Records of the U.S. Bureau of Fisheries (1907-37) indicate that 

 at least 302 otters were taken in Alaska from 1906 through 1936. 

 Of these, 240 were taken between 1906 and 1911 and 62 from 

 1912 to 1936. For 213 skins (186 before 1911 and 27 after 1911) 

 no location of origin is given, but many apparently came from the 

 Aleutian, Sanak, and Kodiak Islands areas. The specific locations 

 of origin of the remaining skins were often not stated clearly. It 

 appears, however, that the remaining 89 skins may be allocated to 

 the following areas: Aleutians, 7 (4 in 1910 and 3 in 1929); 

 Southern Bristol Bay and Bering Sea north of Unimak Island, 15 

 (all before 1911) ; Alaska Peninsula, south coast (about 56° N.), 

 6 (1918, 2; 1929, 2; 1931, 2); Sanak Island area, 3 (1926, 2; 

 1934, 1) ; Shumagin Islands, 1 (1910) ; Kodiak area, 52 (31 before 

 1911 and 21 after 1911) ; Prince William Sound and Kayak Island 

 area, 5 (1910, 3; 1924, 2). Within these areas otters probably 

 survived along exposed coasts that offered few if any anchorages 

 and where offshore reefs made hunting hazardous. Such areas 

 also offered otters feeding habitat well offshore. 



The map (fig. 68) and table 19 summarize modem field counts 

 and estimates of sea otter populations in Alaska and indicate that 

 most of the population is concentrated in an area about 500 miles 

 long which includes the Rat and part of the Andreanof Islands 

 (9,605 observed, 1965, table 19). From the present spearhead of 

 population expansion in the central Andreanofs eastward to the 

 next small colony at Atka (228 observed, 1965, table 25) is about 

 75 miles. The next colony (159 observed, 1965, table 25) is 50 

 miles farther east, near the east end of Amlia. Moving eastward 

 30 miles, the next colony (28 observed, 1965, table 25) is at 

 Seguam. From here to the small Samalga-Umnak colony (9 ob- 

 served, 1965, table 30) is 140 miles. The next small colony (32 

 observed, 1965, table 30) is at Tigalda Island 175 miles to the east. 

 From here to the Unimak-Amak-Port Moller colony (2,892 ob- 

 served, 1965, table 30) is 75 miles. Along the south side of the 

 Alaska Peninsula and northeastward to the Kayak Island area, a 

 distance of about 800 miles, the colonies (5,748 observed, table 36) 

 are not separated by any known geographic barriers. 



After the publication of population and distribution studies by 

 Lensink (1960) considerable field work was undertaken. The data 



