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NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA 68 



Figure 81. — This group of 128 otters slept on the open sea about 2 miles off 

 the north coast of Unimak Island, Alaska. No kelp beds are found in this 

 offshore location. Available evidence indicates that animals in this area 

 rarely come ashore. (KWK 65-17-8) 



three factors: (1) An influx of otters from the Sanak Island- 

 Sandman Reefs area. (2) A north wind of several days* duration 

 before and during our 1965 survey may have concentrated large 

 numbers of otters near shore from their extensive offshore feeding 

 grounds. During the 1962 survey of this same area, we found otters 

 more scattered than in 1965. In 1962 they were spread over many 

 square miles of open water. Possibly we failed to see many of 

 them in 1962. (3) A large number of mothers carrying young were 

 observed during both surveys — obviously reproduction accounted 

 for some but certainly not all of the observed population increase 

 in this area. 



If the habitat (more than 1,000 square miles) may be populated 

 as densely as some of those of the Aleutian Islands, the population 

 might reach from 10,000 to 15,000 otters. No quantitative study 

 of the marine invertebrate fauna of southwestern Bristol Bay 

 has been made. A qualitative study by McLaughlin (1963), how- 

 ever, revealed a variety of crustaceans and molluscs in this area 

 and suggests that it is rich. The large numbers and variety of 

 aquatic birds and marine mammals there indicate that food species 

 are abundant. 



We extended the 1965 survey along the north shore of the 

 Alaska Peninsula about 10 miles northeast of Port Moller but 

 found no sea otters beyond the mouth of that bay. Our observations 



