Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge is a 2,500-acre preserve including the Monomoy Islands, a fragile 9-mi-long barrier-beach area south of Chatham. Monomoy's North and South islands were created when a storm divided the former Monomoy Island in 1978. Monomoy was itself separated from the mainland in a 1958 storm. A haven for bird-watchers, the island is an important stop along the North Atlantic Flyway for migratory waterfowl and shorebirds -- peak migration times are May and late July. It also provides nesting and resting grounds for 285 species, including gulls -- great black-backed, herring, and laughing -- and several tern species. White-tailed deer also live on the islands, and harbor and gray seals frequent the shores in winter. The only structure on the islands is the South Monomoy Lighthouse, built in 1849.

Monomoy is a quiet, peaceful place of sand and beach grass, tidal flats, dunes, marshes, freshwater ponds, thickets of bayberry and beach plum, and a few pines. Because the refuge harbors several endangered species, activities are limited. Certain areas are fenced off to protect nesting areas of terns and the threatened piping plover. Several groups conduct tours of the islands, including the Massachusetts Audubon Society in South Wellfleet and the Cape Cod Museum of Natural History in Brewster, many with a focus on bird-watching. Most of these tours cost about $20 to $35 per person, depending on the length of the tour and the itinerary. In season, the Rip Ryder (508/945-5450. www.monomoyislandferry.com) will take you over from Chatham for bird- or seal-watching tours; private charters are also available. Another excellent option is Monomoy Island Excursions (508/430-7772), which offers seal and seabird tours and boat trips out around Monomoy Island, leaving from Saquatucket Harbor on a 43-foot high-speed catamaran. Outermost Adventures (508/945-5858. www.outermostharbor.com) also provides water taxi services out to Monomoy Island and offers fishing, birding, and seal-watching cruises.

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