Izembek National Wildlife Refuge

Izembek National Wildlife Refuge is a coastal wildlife refuge on the Alaska Peninsula that protects a large lagoon and associated eelgrass beds important for migratory birds. The refuge preserves extensive wetlands and coastal habitats used by hundreds of thousands of waterfowl and shorebirds during migration.

The refuge’s highlights are its shallow lagoon and extensive eelgrass meadows, which provide critical feeding and staging areas for species such as Pacific brant and other sea ducks. The area is remote and valued for large seasonal concentrations of birds and for marine and coastal wildlife viewing from boats or aircraft.

The refuge was established in the mid-20th century to protect important wetlands on the Alaska Peninsula and has been the focus of conservation efforts and occasional management controversies over access and transportation links. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service administers the area.

Izembek is located on the Alaska Peninsula near Cold Bay and King Cove, on the Bering Sea side of the peninsula. The landscape is low-lying coastal lagoon, tidal flats and nearby volcanic highlands typical of the region.

• Scale: The refuge contains over 300,000 acres of wetlands, islands and coastal habitat and is one of the world's most important staging areas for migratory waterfowl.
• Access: Access is remote; the nearest communities are Cold Bay and King Cove and travel typically requires small aircraft or long boat trips.

What to See #

• Izembek Lagoon: A broad coastal lagoon system dominated by shallow eelgrass beds that are vital feeding grounds for migratory waterfowl and shorebirds.
• Eelgrass beds: Extensive eelgrass meadows and tideflats that support large wintering and staging concentrations of sea ducks, geese and other migratory birds.