In August, 1996, Kamchatka Fish and Game's Sea Mammals Department inspectors Alexander Boiko and Nickolai Pavlov were invited to Alaska to participate in a joint program, together with scientists from the U.S. Federal Department on Sea Mammals Protection, studying the island seal, antour. This sea mammal occupies the same biotopes as the sea otter. This led to their nearly complete extermination in early 90-s, when the sea otters were taken under protection. Some experts decided that antours, the sea otters' competitors for food, will not let keep the sea otters as a valuable hunted species, and suggested to exterminate them ruthlessly everywhere. In fact, as things turned out the antours were not at fault. They did not impede the sea otter population at all. Unfortunately, they were butchered continuously, and eventually, after the sea otters were entered into the Red Book. So, together with our American colleagues, we were to determine the entire antour population currently inhabiting the Earth.

Long before our arrival, American colleagues calculated the optimum period of the studies. Actually, tagging of the antours was possible in that particular area only in certain periods associated with certain life cycles of the mammals. Three factors were taken as a basis: the catching will be better done in the molting period, as the antours try to do the rubbing mostly ashore; it would be necessary to consider the tidal cycles as the antours crowd on the shoals which get open during the low tide, the height should be no less than a meter and a half; catching and transporting and tagging of the mammals take a lot of time, so the operations should be started in the first half of the day.

The only possible tie interval for this job was August 9 through 21. The catching was done by the following method. The first group headed toward the antours spotted on shore in a boat fitted out with nets. On the boat's approach the animals started toward the waterline. In meantime the boat closed in on the antours as far as possible at full speed, then a crew with the end of the jumped into the water. The other end of the net was set around the animals, forming a sort of a pocket. The water depth should not be higher than the net, as the animals would easily duck under. The second group was to scare off the animals trying to escape the "ring". The antours tried even harder and got caught in the net. The technicalities of the whole operation were with Dennis. He chose the route for the animal search, had the command, and knew the best timing for the chase.

The job finished, all the animals were transported to the tagging place, chosen at will. There, we took all measurements and samples of whiskers, blood, and body tissues, installed radio and plastic tags. Each animal was registered on a separate Tagging Card of the established form where all individual data were entered.