THE SEA OTTER IN THE EASTERN PACIFIC OCEAN 175 



suggest that Port Moller (56° N. lat., 160°50' W. long.) is near the 

 northeast extremity of the sea otter's range in Bristol Bay. A sea 

 otter taken '\ . . near the Naknek River . . at about 58°40' N. lat., 

 in northeastern Bristol Bay . . where they are rarely to be found" 

 (U.S. Bureau of Fisheries, 1911, p. 56) was probably a wanderer 

 from southwestern Bristol Bay. 



Sanak Island and Sandman Reefs 



Sanak Island (fig. 80), which supports a small village, is ap- 

 proximately 20 miles southeast of the eastern extremity of Unimak 

 Island. Between Sanak Island and the Alaska Peninsula the Sand- 

 man Reefs consist of extensive shallows having a number of 

 exposed rocks and islets. 



Sea otters were reported in the Sanak Island-Sandman Reefs 

 area as early as 1922 (McCracken, 1957), but must have been 

 very scarce at that time (Lensink, 1962). The Murie expedition 

 received reports of otters in this area in 1936 but found none 

 (Williams, 1937). Aerial surveys in 1957 and 1962 indicate that 

 a substantial population now in this area is increasing (fig. 80 

 and table 31). 



Aerial surveys in 1957 by Lensink (1958) and my observations 

 obtained on dory surveys of 20-23 June 1960 indicated that few 

 sea otters occupied waters surrounding Caton Island and that the 

 animals were more numerous among the reefs off the southeast 

 coast of Sanak. Aerial surveys of 10 April 1962, during excellent 

 weather conditions, confirmed these observations. The majority 

 of the otters observed on both aerial surveys were concentrated 

 among reefs and islets off the southwest coast of Sanak Island 



Table 31. — Numbers of sea otters observed and estimated population in the 

 Sanak Islands and Sandman Reefs areas 



Aerial surveys Estimated 



Area total in 



1957 1 1962 2 1962 



Sanak area: 



Sanak Island and associated reefs 



Caton Island and associated reefs 



Total 



Sandman Reefs: 



Cherni Island 



Clubbing Rocks 



Little Goose Island... 



Deer Island and all reefs not named above 



Total... 



Total both areas 



236 525 700 



15 23 46 



251 548 746 



271 259 345 



33 2 4 



76 82 137 



123 295 393 



503 638 879 



754 1,186 1,625 



1 Aerial survey by Lensink (1958) on 19 July 1957. 



2 Aerial survey by D, L. Spencer and Kenyon on 10 April 1962. 



