The Great White Heron National Wildlife Refuge, established in 1938, was created as a haven for great white herons, which were being hunted for their highly prized feathers for the millinery trade. Part of a vast subtropical ecosystem, the refuge consists of a 300 square mile area of water and backcountry islands that lie north of the main chain of the Florida Keys, between Marathon and Key West. The refuge is the last of the offshore, or backcountry, islands in the Lower Florida Keys available as critical nesting, roosting, loafing, and wading habitat for over 250 avian species and provides critical nesting habitat for endangered sea turtles.
The Refuge is only accessible by boat. Information can be obtained at the National Key Deer Refuge administrative office. See directions to National Key Deer Refuge.
