Seasons of Wildlife
Due to the Central Pacific location of Palmyra Atoll National Wildlife Refuge, and several seabirds can be found nesting year-round. Green sea turtle and hawksbill turtles can be found cruising the lagoon, while a rare nesting event may occur in the summer months. Palmyra's native vegetation is lush, supporting one of the largest remaining undisturbed stands of Pisonia forest in the Pacific, including native varieties of ferns and shrubs. Palmyra's rich intertidal sand- and mudflats provide attractive resting and feeding grounds for migratory seabirds and shorebirds.
Featured Species
The wildlife found in and around Palmyra Atoll National Wildlife Refuge is rich with diversity ranging from a variety of sea and shorebirds, marine mammals, various species of reptiles, invertebrates, marine life, and flora.
Palmyra Atoll is the only seabird nesting area available within 450,000 square miles of ocean and an important marine feeding ground. Seabird populations residing at Palmyra are primarily pelagic feeders that obtain the fish and squid they consume by associating with schools of large predatory fish such as tuna and billfish. Breeding seabird pairs and their recently fledged young rely on abundant and local food sources within easy commuting range of Palmyra. The refuge is an essential migratory stop for maintaining global shorebird populations. The rocky shoreline and extensive sand flats that are exposed during low tide are important foraging areas for several wintering migratory shorebirds.
The surrounding reef supports more than 400 species of fish, including an abundance of sharks, stony coral, and giant clams, while Pacific bottle-nosed dolphins, spinner dolphins, and melonhead whales frequent the nearby waters. Palmyra's native vegetation is lush, supporting one of the largest remaining undisturbed stands of Pisonia grandis forest in the Pacific, including native varieties of ferns and shrubs. The atoll is also home to a number of terrestrial crab species, including the enormous coconut crab.
