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NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA 68 



(1923). As previously suggested (Lensink, 1960) these may have 

 reached the Pribilofs on drifting ice from the Unimak-Amak 

 Islands area. Preble and McAtee (1923) mention the finding of 

 skulls in subsequent years. I presume that these, like the ones 

 several other biologists and I have found since 1947, had remained 

 buried under sand dunes since the 1700's or even earlier. 



The area of available feeding habitat — v^ater 30 fathoms or 

 less in depth — around St. Paul Island is about 395 square miles. 

 If the population there was as dense in 1786 as that now found at 

 certain of the Rat and Delarof Islands (about 16 to 19 otters per 

 square mile), the total population at the Pribilofs could have been 

 about 6,300 to 7,500 in 1786. This estimate indicates that Elliott's 

 (1875) statement is plausible. 



In April 1954 we attempted to transplant sea otters by ship 

 from Amchitka Island to the Pribilofs. All 19 animals apparently 

 died soon after liberation on 9 April. None was subsequently seen. 

 Another transplant of seven otters by aircraft on 20 May 1959 

 was successful in that at least some of them survived. Residents 

 of the Pribilof Islands, believed to be reliable observers, reported 

 the occasional sighting of one or two otters until the spring of 

 1961. Although the sightings could not be verified, they do indicate 

 the possibility that at least some otters survived for 2 years (see 

 Transplant Attempts). 



Isolated as this island group is by 240 miles of open sea from 

 the nearest population, near Unimak and Amak Islands and the 

 tip of the Alaska Peninsula, there is probably little chance that 

 natural repopulation will occur in the near future. The possibility 

 exists that eventually otters associated with floating ice may reach 

 the Pribilofs from the Unimak-Amak-Alaska Peninsula area. 



Other western Alaska areas 



The Pavlov Islands (55° N. lat., 161°30' W. long.) are south of 

 the Alaska Peninsula and northeast of the Sandman Reefs. In 

 1957 (Lensink, 1958) and again in 1962 the group was partially 

 covered during aerial surveys. On each survey four otters were 

 seen near outer Iliasik Island. As the Sandman Reefs population 

 grows, otters will probably move from that area into the Pavlov 

 Islands. 



The Semidi Islands (56°10' N. lat., 156°45' W. long.) lie about 

 20 miles south of Sutwik Island. In the summer of 1957 Lensink 

 (1958) recorded five otters there. This isolated group was not 

 subsequently surveyed. 



Chirikof Island (55°50' N. lat., 155°35' W. long.) is about 40 



