Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge

The Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge is a U.S. federal wildlife refuge that protects Alaska’s offshore islands, islets and adjacent marine habitats; it spans thousands of locations along Alaska’s coastline. Its area encompasses over two million hectares and more than 2,400 islands, islets, rocks and reefs.

The refuge is important for breeding seabirds and marine mammals - millions of migratory and resident birds nest on its islands and it supports substantial populations of seals, sea lions and other marine species. Access is remote and most sites are reached only by private boat or aircraft; field visits are concentrated in the ice-free summer months.

The refuge was created and is managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to conserve critical breeding, moulting and feeding habitats for seabirds and marine mammals. Management includes seasonal protections, research permitting and partnerships with local communities and researchers.

Geographically the refuge extends along Alaska’s maritime zones from the Aleutian Islands in the west, across the Bering Sea and Aleutians, along the Alaska Peninsula and Kodiak region, and into islands in the Gulf of Alaska; individual units are widely separated and remote from major population centers.

• Scale: Covers a vast area of offshore islands and nearshore waters - more than 2,400 islands, islets, rocks and reefs over millions of acres of habitat.
• Management and access: Managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; access to many islands is by charter boat or aircraft and is seasonally restricted to protect wildlife.
• Purpose: Established to protect marine birds and mammals and their breeding sites; the refuge supports some of the world’s largest seabird colonies.

What to See#

• Aleutian Islands unit: Aleutian Islands unit - includes thousands of islands and islets along the Aleutian chain and supports very large seabird and marine mammal colonies.
• Bering Sea unit: Bering Sea unit - covers islands and rocks in the Bering Sea that are critical breeding sites for auklets, murres and other northern seabirds.
• Alaska Peninsula and Gulf units: Gulf of Alaska / Alaska Peninsula unit - includes islands along the Alaska Peninsula and Gulf of Alaska important for sea lions, seals and nesting seabirds.

Access is by air or sea from hubs such as Anchorage or coastal Alaska towns; many sites require chartered boats or floatplanes. Consult the refuge website and licensed operators for permitted trips and seasonal access information.

• Book wildlife cruises through licensed operators-land-based access is limited for many refuges.
• Bring binoculars and a telephoto lens; much of the refuge is best observed from ships.
• Expect rugged conditions-cold, wind, and long distances between points of interest.