THE SEA OTTER IN THE EASTERN PACIFIC OCEAN 187 



On 17 and 18 March 1958, I visited Santa Rosa and San Miguel 

 Islands aboard the M/V Trinity and observed the inshore waters 

 of both islands from a dory. Much ideal sea otter habitat was 

 examined but no otters were seen. This survey and reports from 

 other visitors to the Channel Islands indicate that, as yet, no 

 substantial sea otter population has developed there. 



Orr and Poulter (1964) recorded several observations at Ano 

 Nuevo Island (37°7' N. lat.) in the summer of 1963; and Bentley 

 (1959) noted two near Trinidad Head (41° N.) in December 1956, 

 indicating that individual otters are moving northward. 



LOWER CALIFORNIA, MEXICO 



The aboriginal population of sea otters reached its southern limit 

 at least as far south as Morro Hermoso (27° 32' N. lat.) (Ogden, 

 1941) and Natividad and Cedros Islands (27°50' N. lat.) (An- 

 thony, 1925; Scammon, 1870). Anthony indicates that the last 

 remaining colonies "in the region of certain kelp beds south of 

 Ensenada" were wiped out when about 50 were killed in 1897 

 and an additional 28, "eight or nine years later at the same point." 

 The last record he gives is of one being "killed by fishermen in 

 1919, at San Benito Island." 



In April and May 1946 and in January and February 1965 I 

 visited many of the islands and inshore water areas along the 

 coast of Lower California from Natividad Island to the U.S. border. 

 I found no information that sea otters might still exist along the 

 coast and saw nothing to indicate their presence. The species was 

 probably extirpated on the Mexican coast in 1919. 



SOVIET UNION POPULATIONS 



Barabash-Nikiforov (1947) summarizes information on the dis- 

 tribution of sea otters in the Soviet Union. Information on modern 

 sea otter populations in areas under Soviet control became avail- 

 able only recently. The drowning of Scientist S. D. Pereleshin at 

 Paramushir Island in the Kuril Islands in 1959 probably retarded 

 sea otter studies. Pereleshin^s successor. Scientist A. N. Belkin, 

 accidentally shot himself in 1965 (pers. comm., V. A. Arseniev) 

 but some of his work was published posthumously. 



Commander Islands 



Data obtained on a visit to the Commander Islands in July 1961 

 and the available published information is summarized. 



Geologically the Commander Islands (Komandorskie Ostrova) 



