Where are the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands?
The Northwestern Hawaiian Islands are a chain of small islands, atolls, submerged banks, and reefs beginning approximately 120 nautical miles west of the main Hawaiian islands, and stretching northwest for more than 1,100 nautical miles or 2,000 kilometers. This vast archipelago is uninhabited (except for Midway Island) and is surrounded by some of the most extensive and healthy coral reefs in U.S. waters. The coral reefs are part of a unique marine ecosystem found nowhere else on Earth. The reefs and related ecosystems include a diverse variety of habitats extending from the archipelago’s shorelines to approximately 50 nautical miles offshore, and to depths of 100 fathoms (183 meters).
