THE SEA OTTER IN THE EASTERN PACIFIC OCEAN 205 



I repeatedly saw lone adult male otters in the same locations 

 near the shore of Kirilof Point, a female area. During a period of 

 3 weeks, one of these slept daily on the same rock. Another 

 habitually rested in a kelp bed or on rocks on the shore of a 

 sheltered cove. Although I saw transient males in the same general 

 vicinity, I did not observe any behavior that might be interpreted 

 as territorial defense. 



When a female, searching for food or moving along the coast, 

 passed the area occupied by a sedentary male he swam to her and 

 attempted courtship. If the female was not receptive and passed 

 on, the male returned to a favorite feeding or resting place. If 

 the female was receptive, she chose a rock in the vicinity where 

 the pair slept and groomed during the mated period (see Breeding 

 Behavior) of up to several days. 



Thus, males seeking an estrous female may be sedentary and 

 wait for one in some favorite ''territory," from which other males 

 are not driven, or may actively search for estrous females. The 

 maximum time that a male may remain in a limited location or 

 remain away from one of the male haul-out areas was not as- 

 certained. It is my conclusion that territoriality is but weakly 

 expressed in the sea otter. 



