144 



NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA 68 



error in our counts accurately. Nevertheless, the results of the 

 surveys are comparable and they establish the order of magnitude 

 of populations in the locations that were surveyed. For the 

 purpose of this report, comparability of field observations in 

 different areas is more important than an estimate of absolute 

 population magnitude. 



On calm days, when the sea was glassy and a floating otter could 

 be seen at a distance of more than a mile on each side of the 

 aircraft, we carefully examined many extensive oifshore areas 

 between islands. Where the water is shallow and otters occur in 

 numbers well offshore (as off the north shore of Unimak Island) 

 we systematically flew sectors through the area covering most 

 of the sea's surface where otters occurred. 



In areas of dense population, the otters tend to gather in groups 

 or **pods" of variable size numbering from 10 to 30 animals. 

 Groups of 100 or more animals were infrequent (fig. 69) and 

 rarely were more than 200 otters together (the maximum observed 

 was 440, fig. 70). In sparse populations, relatively fewer groups 



Figure 69. — A group of 157 sea otters resting in a kelp bed in Kagalaska 

 Strait (between Adak and Kagalaska Islands), Aleutian Islands, Alaska. 

 Flight altitude about 150 feet, air speed 120 knots; 6 April 1962. (KWK 

 62-35-19) 



