Seal Island National Wildlife Refuge
Seal Island National Wildlife Refuge is a 1-mile-long (1.6 km) island off the coast of Maine, United States near Matinicus Island that is part of the Maine Coastal Islands National Wildlife Refuge. During any given summer season, over 100 species of birds are observed by researchers on the island. It is home to colonies of many types of seabirds, including Atlantic puffins, double-crested cormorants, razorbills, common murres, Leach's storm petrels, eiders, and black guillemots. Seal Island is the last refuge for the dwindling great cormorant population in the Gulf of Maine, with 35 pairs in 2018. A policy of eliminating predatory gulls preceded the recolonization of the island by a large mixed band of Arctic terns and common terns.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
| Designation | National Wildlife Refuge |
| Managed by | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service |
| State | Maine |
| Size | 119 acres (computed from the boundary polygon) |
| FWS region | Region 5 |
| Center point | 43.8871, -68.7408 |
| Night sky | About as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 6) |
Boundary map
Boundary, simplified to about 0.005 degrees
The outline is the agency boundary simplified for display, so small parcels and inholdings may not show. The agency page has the authoritative map.
Weather by month
Large units span more than one climate. The station stands in for the center point, and the outer parts of the boundary can be warmer or colder.
Explore
Nearby on the other atlases
- 8.3 miSaddleback Ledge Light Station ↗Vinalhaven, ME
- 10.6 miGrant, Gooden, House ↗Isle Au Haut, ME
- 11.1 miHeron Neck Light Station ↗Vinalhaven, ME
- 11.5 miMount Desert Light Station ↗Frenchboro, ME
- 11.9 miWebster, Moses, House ↗Vinalhaven, ME
- 11.9 miVinalhaven Galamander, The ↗Vinalhaven, ME
- 11.9 miStar of Hope Lodge ↗Vinalhaven, ME
- 11.9 miUnion Church of Vinalhaven ↗Vinalhaven, ME
Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.
Reference
Questions people ask
How big is Seal Island National Wildlife Refuge?
119 acres, measured from the published boundary polygon. The agency’s own figure can differ where the boundary includes water or inholdings.
Source: How acreage is computed
Who manages Seal Island National Wildlife Refuge?
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
What state is Seal Island National Wildlife Refuge in?
Maine.
Source: How states are assigned
How do I get to Seal Island National Wildlife Refuge?
A point inside the boundary is at 43.887, -68.741. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
How dark is the night sky at Seal Island National Wildlife Refuge?
NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 6 on a 0 to 255 scale at the center point, about as dark as the ground gets.
Source: NASA Black Marble
Are there historic places near Seal Island National Wildlife Refuge?
12 National Register listings within 15 miles, including Saddleback Ledge Light Station and Grant, Gooden, House.
Source: Register Atlas
Sources
- Boundary, name: the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service refuge boundary layer.
- States: computed by intersecting the boundary with Census state polygons; a state is listed when it holds at least one percent of the area.
- Acreage: geodesic area of the published polygon. The agency’s official acreage can differ where the boundary includes water, easements or inholdings.
- Description: Seal Island National Wildlife Refuge on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. The article was accepted because its title contains this unit’s name.
- Campgrounds: the Campsite Atlas index of federal campgrounds, matched to this boundary at build time.
- Night sky: NASA Black Marble (VIIRS, 2016 composite) sampled at zoom 6 around the center point.
- Weather, alerts, air quality, river flow and earthquakes load live in your browser from NWS, AirNow, USGS and iNaturalist when you open the page.