San Juan Islands National Wildlife Refuge, in the Salish Sea north of Puget Sound in Washington, was created in 1976 to protect wildlife on 83 small uninhabited islands totaling about 454 acres. Managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, it includes extensive wilderness protection and preserves habitats ranging from bare rocks to forested islands with cliffs used by nesting marine birds. Public access is tightly limited to reduce disturbance, with only a few exceptions such as parts of Matia Island and Turn Island. The refuge supports about 200 bird species, along with harbor seals and whales in nearby waters.