 Selawik is near the Selawik National Wildlife Refuge, a breeding and resting area for migratory waterfowl.According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it (26.24%) is water.Selawik first appeared on the 1880 U.S. Census as the unincorporated Inuit village of "Selawigamute."