Smith and Minor Islands Aquatic Reserve

Smith and Minor Islands lie a few miles off the western shore of Whidbey Island near Oak Harbor and are managed by the US Fish and Wildlife Service as a National Wildlife Refuge. Just over 36,300 acres of tidelands and seafloor habitat are included in the aquatic reserve. This area contains the largest kelp bed in Puget Sound, and the islands provide critical habitat for numerous seabirds and marine mammals. 

September 2010: Smith and Minor Islands Aquatic Reserve Video chosen for Salish Sea Film Festival. 

• Smith & Minor Islands Aquatic Reserve Commissioner's Order (194KB PDF)
• Smith & Minor Islands Aquatic Reserve Management Plan (1.7MB PDF)