THE SEA OTTER IN THE EASTERN PACIFIC OCEAN 169 



were fair and only about 50 percent of the coastline of each of the 

 main islands was surveyed. On neither survey were otters seen. 

 It is probable that no sea otters occupy this group at present. 



The available sea otter habitat around the seven steep-sided 

 islands in this group is 88 square miles. When compared with 

 Gareloi, a similar island having a sea otter population of 8 otters 

 per square mile of habitat, the estimated future population in the 

 Islands of Four Mountains may be about 700 otters. 



Fox Islands 



This group (figs. 79 and 80) includes the islands in the 240-mile 

 sector of the Aleutians between Samalga Pass and Isanotski Pass 

 at the western extremity of the Alaska Peninsula. Amak Island, 

 off the north coast of the Alaska Peninsula, although not one of 

 the Fox Islands, is included in this discussion because of its prox- 

 imity to Unimak Island. 



Among the Fox Islands at present there are two small, widely 



Umnak- -0 



Unalaska--0 



Samalga- -9 



168^ 



166 



/ 



Figures 79. — The colony at Samalga Island and in the vicinity of Cape 

 Sagak, Umnak Island, at the western extremity of the Fox Islands, is a 

 small but permanent one. Otters were observed there during aerial surveys 

 in 1960 (6), 1962 (10) and, as shown on the map, in 1965. This is the 

 most isolated Aleutian colony. Complete surveys of Umnak and Unalaska 

 Islands were made in March 1960 and April 1962. Only the south exposures 

 were surveyed on 8 May 1965. 



