Established in 1999, Navassa Island National Wildlife Refuge is an uninhabited, 5 km² island in the Caribbean Sea between Haiti and Jamaica.

Visit Us

Navassa Island NWR is closed to the public. Access is extremely hazardous and there are no beaches on Navassa since island rises abruptly from the sea with cliffs reaching heights of 20 meters or more. Thus, no visitor services are provided. However, staff does maintain a website for the refuge as well as provide off-refuge educational services as part of the Caribbean Islands NWR Complex based out of Cabo Rojo NWR in Puerto Rico.

Location and Contact Information

      About Us

      Established in 1999, Navassa Island National Wildlife Refuge is an uninhabited, 5 km² island in the Caribbean Sea between Haiti and Jamaica.

      Prior to becoming a national wildlife refuge national wildlife refuge
      A national wildlife refuge is typically a contiguous area of land and water managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service  for the conservation and, where appropriate, restoration of fish, wildlife and plant resources and their habitats for the benefit of present and future generations of Americans.

      Learn more about national wildlife refuge
      , two expeditions of USGS scientists conducted an inventory of natural resources of the island
      . Findings from the expeditions uncovered more than 600 terrestrial species which contributed to the instrumental in the decision in 1999 to make Navassa a National Wildlife Refuge.

      Our Organization

      The National Wildlife Refuge System, within the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, manages a national network of lands and waters set aside to conserve America's fish, wildlife, and plants.

      A bright blue sky obstructed by fluffy white clouds reflected off of a stream shot from inside a kayak
      The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service manages an unparalleled network of public lands and waters called the National Wildlife Refuge System. With more than 570 refuges spanning the country, this system protects iconic species and provides some of the best wildlife viewing opportunities on Earth.