Quillayute Needles

In 1970, the United States Congress designated the Washington Islands National Wildlife Refuges as wilderness. Located off Washington’s Olympic Coast, the designation includes all rocks, reefs, and islands stretching from Cape Flattery all the way south to Copalis, except for Destruction Island and those that are designated part of Native American reservations. These wilderness islands provide nesting habitat for more than 70 percent of Washington's seabirds and support some of the largest seabird colonies in the continental United States. To prevent disturbance to extremely sensitive seabirds and marine mammals, Washington Islands Wilderness is closed to public entry year-round and the surrounding waters within 200 yards are closed to all watercraft.

Resource Management

The isolation of these islands offers a multitude of seabirds and sea mammals protection from human disturbance and terrestrial predators to maintain healthy populations. Like an iceberg, these islands are the visible part of a vast, complex life-supporting structure. Although the islands themselves do not move, the surrounding waters move with currents and tides bringing nourishing resources that sustain the local inhabitants.

These islands support the majority of all the nesting seabirds on the outer coast of Washington. Some of the birds that use the islands include: common murres, Leach’s storm-petrels, rhinoceros auklets, and Cassin’s auklets. Sea mammals include: California sea lions, harbor seals, sea otters, and Stellar sea lions.

The Refuge primarily monitors these wildlife populations through aerial surveys. Additionally, Refuge staff collaborate with the staffs of the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary and Olympic National Park on research programs and other issues that may have impacts on the resources.

The Copalis, Flattery Rocks and Quillayute Needles Refuges, parts of which are designated as the Washington Islands Wilderness, are closed to visitation to protect wildlife and other natural, cultural, and other resources consistent with the conservation purposes of the refuges.

Washington Maritime National Wildlife Refuge Complex

Quillayute Needles National Wildlife Refuge is managed as one of six refuges in the Washington Maritime National Wildlife Refuge Complex. A National Wildlife Refuge Complex is an administrative grouping of two or more refuges, wildlife management areas or other refuge conservation areas that are primarily managed from a central office location. Refuges are grouped into a complex structure because they occur in a similar ecological region, such as a watershed or specific habitat type, and have a related purpose and management needs.

Typically, a project leader or complex manager oversees the general management of all refuges within the complex while refuge managers may be responsible for operations at specific refuges. Supporting staff are generally, but not always, centrally located and support all refuges within the complex.

The Washington Maritime Complex is headquartered at the Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge near Sequim, WA.

The Washington Islands Refuges provide critical habitat for over 72 percent of Washington’s nesting seabirds which are among the largest colonies in the continental U.S. Thirteen species make up the approximate 200,000 breeding seabird population which includes tufted puffins, Cassin’s and rhinoceros auklets, black oystercatchers, fork-tailed and Leach’s storm-petrels, pigeon guillemots, Glaucous-winged and western gulls, common murres, ancient murrelets, and double-crested, Brandt’s, and pelagic cormorants.

Common Murre

A stark black beak, head, and back contrasted against a snowy white belly distinguish the common murre. Outer coastal islands are very important to the common murre population as these islands are the only place they breed in Washington. The birds prefer to nest on the tops of partially vegetated to bare rock sea stacks and flat-topped islands.  

Tufted Puffin

With a distinctive orange beak, white face mask, blonde forehead plumes, and black body, the tufted puffin is one of the coast's most recognizable birds. Coastal refuges provide important nesting sites for puffins who like to burrow deep in the sod or in rock crevices. The surrounding waters provide a fertile source for their favorite foods including small fish and mollusks.

Double-crested Cormorant

Double-crested cormorants are a large black bird with a narrow, orange, hooked bill and an orange throat patch. They are commonly seen on a rock or log with their wings outstretched to dry. They nest in pairs or colonies on the islands and sea stacks of the Refuge. Large stick nests may be seen atop flat islands, wide benches, or in trees. Frequent changes to their colony locations make predicting their year-to-year occurrence difficult. 

Pigeon Guillemot

The pigeon guillemot is a small black seabird with a white wing patch and bright orange feet. They are one of Washington's most widespread seabirds. They aren't picky when it comes to nesting and will build their nests in rock crevices, boulder beaches, or burrows in dirt cliffs. The Refuge provides a wide variety of these habitats from which they may choose. 

Sea otters, harbor seals, Steller sea lions, California sea lions, northern elephant seals, and occasionally northern fur seals use the Refuge’s many rocks, reefs, and islands to haul-out and rest while the surrounding waters provide ample foraging opportunities. All are federally protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972.

Sea Otter

Sea otters were once hunted for their thick warm fur and by the early 1900’s the population in Washington had been wiped out. Sea otters were relocated from Alaska to the waters off of Washington’s coast in 1969-70 and the population has since been steadily growing. The Refuge provides important habitat for most of Washington's sea otters. They particularly utilize large kelp beds where they hunt for sea urchins, clams, and mussels to fuel their voracious appetites. The greatest threats to the local sea otter population are potential oil spills and competition from shellfish harvesting. Generally, sea otters are not easily seen from shore, but persistent viewers occasionally spot them off of Cape Flattery.  

Harbor Seal

Harbor seals are easily seen bobbing in the waters off the coast of Washington. They can be identified by their smooth spotted skin varying in color from gray to brown or even black. The rocks, reefs and, islands of the Refuge are important spots for seals to haul-out of the water and rest or give birth to pups. One of the greatest threats to the harbor seal population is human disturbance, particularly during pupping season. Seal pups resting on shore should always be left alone as their mothers are likely waiting off shore and will not return until threats, such as humans, are clear of the area.

California Sea Lion

Sea lions are differentiated from seals by their visible ears. The California sea lion ranges in color from males who are a dark chocolate brown to lighter golden brown females. Males are quite large and can tip the scales at 850 pounds. Primarily it is the males who wander as far north as the Washington Islands where they hunt for food and use the islands as haul-out spots to rest.