Hawaiian Islands and Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge

Directions: Entering lagoon waters and landing on the islands of the Hawaiian Islands National Wildlife Refuge is prohibited to protect the dense colonies of nesting birds and to limit disturbance to monk seals. Landing on Midway Atoll is controlled by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Write to the Refuge Manager for permission.

Primary Wildlife: Millions of seabirds are dependent upon the islands for a place to nest. Among the seabirds nesting on these islands are Laysan and black-footed albatrosses, sooty terns, white terns, brown and black noddies, several species of shearwaters and petrels, red-tailed tropicbirds, frigatebirds, and two species of boobies. This refuge serves as the major breeding area for the endangered Hawaiian monk seal and is home to the endemic endangered Laysan and Nihoa finch, Nihoa millerbird, and Laysan duck.

Habitat: Beyond the main islands of Hawaii lie a string of widely separated tiny islands and reefs. This island chain is 1,100 miles long, reaching to Midway Island. The southeastern islands are rugged volcanic remnants while the northwestern portion of the chain consists of sparsely vegetated low sandy islands. More than 250,000 acres of atoll lagoons are also included in the refuge.

c/o Hawaiian and Pacific Islands NWR Complex
300 Ala Moana Boulevard, Room 5302
P.O. Box 50167
Honolulu, HI 96850
(808) 541-1201