172 



NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA 68 



On 23 August 1962, R. Thomas (fur seal research biologist) 

 sighted one otter in Akutan Bay (personal communication). 



On 3 and 4 March 1960, D. L. Spencer and I surveyed this island 

 group in detail under good weather conditions. On 7 and 8 April 

 1962 and again on 8 May 1965, wind permitted us to make only 

 an inadequate survey of a small area off Tigalda Island, the only 

 place where sea otters were previously seen. Only three otters were 

 sighted in 1959 and 1962. In addition to the aerial survey data, 

 I obtained information during surface surveys by dory on 26-29 

 June 1960 when I counted 11 adult otters and 6 young with mothers 

 at Tigalda Island. During the 1965 survey, in spite of wind and 

 rain, we sighted 32 otters there (table 30). 



During May and June of 1960 and 1962, C. H. Fiscus (fur seal 

 research biologist) spent considerable time in the Krenitzins while 

 conducting pelagic sealing investigations in Unimak Pass and 

 Bering Sea. The sealing vessel anchored on numerous occasions 

 in different bays and bights and Fiscus went along the shore by 

 dory in several areas. These included Avatanak Strait, Akun, 

 Seredka, and Trident Bays at Akun Island ; Rootok Strait, Durbin 

 Strait, Durbin Bay at Tigalda Island ; Ugamak Strait, Ugamak 

 Island ; and the south shore of Akutan. Although a careful search 

 was always made for sea otters, Fiscus told me that none was 

 observed. It therefore appears probable that the small colony 

 along the northeast shore of Tigalda Island is the only one in the 

 Krenitzin Islands and that otters reported occasionally from Akun 

 Strait are wanderers. 



The area of sea otter habitat adjacent to the Krenitzin Islands 

 is about 200 square miles. If it may support about 12 otters per 

 square mile, the future otter population may be about 2,400. 



Unimak and Amah Islands. — Unimak Pass separates Unimak 

 Island from the Krenitzin Islands. The distance from Unimak 

 Pass to Amak Island is about 100 miles. A Coast Guard Station 

 at Cape Sarichef is the only human settlement in the study area. 



The greatest number of sea otters in this area inhabit the shallow 

 waters of the Bering Sea off Izembek Bay in the vicinity of Amak 

 Island and off the north central portion of Unimak. Depths of 20 

 fathoms or less extend to about 8 miles from shore and the i 

 30-fathom curve extends to about 15 miles from shore. The ma- 

 jority of the 811 otters observed on the 8 April 1962 aerial survey 

 were seen near the 20-fathom curve. Observation conditions were 

 good to excellent during this survey and sectors were system- 

 atically covered between 1 and 15 miles from the shore of Unimak 

 Island and the tip of the Alaska Peninsula. In addition, I conducted 



