Address:

• mailing: P. O. Box 1969, Manteo, North Carolina 27954
• shipping: 708 north Highway 64, Manteo, North Carolina 27954

Phone:

• Administrative Office: 919-473-1131
• Visitor Center: 919-987-2394
• Fax: 919-473-1668

Directions to Refuge:

• From Virginia Beach, Virginia, take I-64 east to US 168 south to US 158 south to NC 12 south. Cross the Bonner Bridge over Oregon Inlet.
• From Raleigh, take US 64 east to Nags Head, then NC 12 south.

Endangered and Threatened Species: Peregrine falcons, piping plovers, bald eagles and loggerhead sea turtles. Pea Island lies on the northern edge of the nesting range for the giant loggerhead turtles. Though there are relatively few nests laid here, they may be extremely significant because the sex of loggerheads is determined by the temperature at which the eggs are incubated. These northern nests may produce many of the males for the entire population!

Other Wildlife Species: Pea Island is midway on the Atlantic Flyway and is a much used and valued feeding and resting area for numerous species of wintering waterfowl, migrating shorebirds, raptors, and wintering wading birds. Pea Island's bird list includes 265 species that occur with regularity and 50 species which are accidental visitors. Resident species of mammals include river otter, muskrats, nutria, raccoons, opossums, minks, and both cottontail and marsh rabbits.

Habitat Description: Pea Island's boundaries extend from Oregon Inlet southward to the village of Rodanthe. The 5,915 acre refuge is comprised of ocean beach, barrier dunes, salt marshes, fresh and brackish water ponds and impoundments, as well as tidal creeks and bays. The refuge also contains 25,700 acres of Pamlico Sound waters which are closed to migratory waterfowl hunting. The land portion of the refuge ranges in width from a few hundred yards to a half mile and in elevation from 0 to approximately 8-10 feet above sea level.

Focus Events: Wings over Water, an annual fall celebration of wildlife and wildlands in eastern North Carolina. Call for dates.

Opportunities for Public Use: Wildlife observation, swimming, surfing, beachcombing, fishing, photography, hiking, boating, interpretive programs. Pea Island Visitor Center offers interpretive wildlife exhibits, refuge and wildlife information, and a book/gift store. The Center is open daily from 9-4 from April through November and most weekends during the winter months. Contact the Refuge Office for activity schedules.

EMAIL ADDRESS: r4rw_nc.all@fws.gov