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Welcome to Baker Island National Wildlife Refuge

Established in 1974, Baker Island National Wildlife Refuge lies just north of the equator in the central Pacific Ocean and about 1,830 nautical miles southwest of Honolulu. Expanded in 2009, the Refuge includes 410,184 acres, of which 531 acres are terrestrial and 409,653 acres are submerged. Except for a shallow reef surrounding the island, most of the submerged habitat is deep and relatively unexplored. On January 6, 2009, the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument was established, which includes Baker Island National Wildlife Refuge within its boundaries.  For more information, please visit the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument website.

Anemone fish and bubble-tip anemone snuggle together in staghorn coral - Photo credit James Maragos/USFWS

Baker Island is the crest of an ancient steep-sided coral reef cap and massive underlying extinct volcano emerging from the deep ocean floor of the equatorial Pacific. The equatorial undercurrent deflects off the western flank of the seamount, pushing nutrient-rich waters up into the sunlit zone, thereby increasing marine productivity and benefiting many species of marine life. This important phenomenon may be limited only to Howland, Baker, Jarvis Islands, and a few other islands in the Pacific because of their steepness and location on the equator.

The island is uninhabited, and entry is by permit only. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service personnel visit Baker about every 2 years, though occasionally scientists and researchers team up to share transportation costs to the island more frequently. From Honolulu, it is only accessible by an 8-day ship voyage.

For more information:
Susan White, Project Leader
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
Pacific Reefs NWRC
300 Ala Moana Boulevard
Room 5-231, Box 50167
Honolulu, Hawai‘i 96850
(808) 792-9560
(808) 792-9586 fax
E-Mail: Pacific_Reefs@fws.gov