DIRECTIONS
Located at the mouth of Discovery Bay in the Strait of Juan de
Fuca. The island is closed to the public to protect nesting seabirds and
harbor seals.
PRIMARY WILDLIFE
- 72 percent of the seabirds
in Puget Sound nest on Protection Island.
- Estimated 17,000 pairs of
rhinoceros auklets nesting. Also nesting by glaucous-winged gulls, pelagic
cormorants, tufted puffins, pigeon guillemots, double-crested cormorants,
and black oystercatchers.
- Pupping and hauling out
area for harbor seals.
- Bald eagles nest.
HABITAT
A 364-acre island covered with grass and low brush, small timbered area;
has high sandy bluffs for seabird nesting, and low sandspits on two ends
of the island.
RECREATION AND EDUCATION
- Visitors may view the island
from their boats, but the island itself is closed to public access.
Commercial boat tours available at nearby marinas.
- Visitors should stay at
least 200 yards off shore to avoid flushing adult birds off their nests.
SPECIAL NOTE
The 48-acre Zella M. Schultz Seabird Sanctuary (on the W end on the island)
is managed by the Washington State Department of Wildlife.
In Memoriam
Eleanor Stopps, incredibly important in leading a campaign to create Protection Island NWR, passed away April 25, 2012.
The Protection Island Story, Port Townsend Marine Science Center
