Status of a translocated sea otter population and its habitat in Washington

During the summers of 1969 and 1970, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game and the Washington Department of Game translocated 59 sea otters from Amchitka Island, Alaska, to release sites in Washington (Jameson et al. 1982, Wildl. Soc. Bull. 10:100-107). Of the 29 released near Pt. Grenvil (Fig. 1) in 1969, 16 are known to have died. In 1970, 30 otters were held in a floating enclosure anchored near James Island, off La Push. They were released nearby in excellent condition on July 1970. Results of surveys from 1977 to 1981 were reported by Jameson et al. (1982). The purpose of this note is to report subsequent additional observations for 1983 and 1985 on the abundance, distribution, and habitat of the sea otter population in Washington