The Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary is one of 15 marine sanctuaries administered by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), an agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce. Designated on May 11, 1994,[2] the sanctuary encompasses 3,189 square miles (2,408 sq nmi; 8,259 km2) of the Pacific Ocean along the Olympic Peninsula of Washington state, from Cape Flattery in the north to the mouth of the Copalis River, a distance of about 162.5 miles (261.5 km).[1] Extending 25 to 40 miles (22 to 35 nmi; 40 to 64 km) from the shore, it includes most of the continental shelf, as well as parts of three important submarine canyons, the Nitinat Canyon, the Quinault Canyon, and the Juan de Fuca Canyon. For 64 miles (103 km) along the coast, the sanctuary shares stewardship with the Olympic National Park.[1] Sanctuary stewardship is also shared with the Hoh, Quileute, and Makah Tribes, as well as the Quinault Indian Nation.[3] The sanctuary overlays the Flattery Rocks, Quillayute Needles, and Copalis Rock National Wildlife Refuges.[4]
