Alaska Maritime

Alaska Maritime

Alaska Maritime consists of more than 2,400 islands, headlands, rocks, islets, spires and reefs of the Alaskan coast. The refuge stretches from Cape Lisburne on the Chukchi Sea to the tip of the Aleutians and eastward to Forrester Island on the border of British Columbia. The 4.5 million acre refuge is a Spectacular blend of tundra, rain forest, cliffs, volcanoes, beaches, lakes, and streams. Most of the refuge (2.64 million acres) is wilderness.

Alaska Maritime is synonymous with sea birds - millions of them. About 75 percent of Alaska's marine birds (15 to 30 million birds among 55 species) use the refuge. They congregate in "bird cities" or colonies along the coast. Each species has a specialized nesting site (rock ledge, crevice, boulder rubble, pinnacle, or burrow) an adaptation that allows many birds to use a small area of land. The refuge has the most diverse wildlife species of all the refuges in Alaska including thousands of sea lions, seals, walrus and sea otters.

Visitor Use

Visitor activities include wildlife observation (sea birds and marine mammals), backpacking and photography. Bird watching is popular on Attu Island (Aleutians) where Asian birds stop on their migration. Some islands have restricted access in order to protect wildlife. Military clearance is required to visit Adak, Shemya, Amchitka and Attu Islands of the Aleutian Chain.

For information contact

Refuge Manager - (907)235-6546
Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge
2355 Kachemak Bay Drive, Suite 101
Homer, AK 99603-8021
email: r7amnwr@fws.gov

Aleutian Islands Contact - (907)592-2406
Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge
Aleutian Islands Unit
PSC 486 Box 5251
FPO AP 96506-5251
email: r7aiuwr@fws.gov

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