Protection Island National Wildlife Refuge

Protection Island spans 379 acres of land in the Strait of Juan de Fuca, featuring sandy bluffs, grasslands, and coastal areas for marine wildlife.

Spanish explorers named the island Isla de Carrasco in 1790, until George Vancouver changed its designation to Protection Island in 1792.

The refuge contains the largest nesting colony of glaucous-winged gulls in Washington and houses seventy percent of Puget Sound's nesting seabird population.

Public access to the island remains restricted, but visitors can observe wildlife through boat tours maintaining a 200-yard distance from the shore.

The island supports approximately 17,000 pairs of rhinoceros auklets and serves as a pupping location for 1,000 harbor seals.

Location: Jefferson County

Operator: United States Fish and Wildlife Service

GPS coordinates: 48.12468,-122.93241

Latest update: March 7, 2025 04:23