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Where To Find Sea Birds | Stellwagen Bank Comments | Site Map

Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary

Stellwagen Bank is a shallow area in the Gulf of Maine 26 miles east of Boston and between Gloucester and Provincetown. Formed as the glaciers retreated from New England it has approximately the same shape as the upper part of Cape Cod. It has a sandy bottom and the prolific food fish here is the Sand Lance. 

Stellwagen Bank is very sensitive to fishing boat dragging nets across the bottom. Unfortunately having it declared a National Marine Sanctuary has not stopped the dragging.

This computer generated map is used with permission of Rich Signell of the U.S. Geological Survey at Woods Hole. See their web page for more interesting computer images. http://crusty.er.usgs.gov/rsignell.html

The dark blue area to the left (west) of Stellwagen Bank is known as Stellwagen Basin. The depth in the basin is over 300 feet. Once you cross over the banks the depth decreases to 70 - 100 feet. Stellwagen Bank is steeper on the west side than it is on the east side.
The BE Buoy
The entrance to Boston Harbor is marked by a series of buoys that begin south of Nantucket Shoals. The first buoy is the BA. (The B is for Boston.) Then you have BB, BC. BD and finally the BE buoy is located north of Race Point.

So when a trip is reported to have gone to the BE buoy you know it was to south Stellwagen Bank.

Whales
Stellwagen Bank supports a population of 100 + Humpback whales during the summer season. The whales support the whale watching industry which makes Stellwagen Bank one of the most accessible pelagic birding areas in the world.

Whale watching boats depart from Provincetown on Cape Cod, Barnstable, Plymouth (not show on map, but half way between Boston and Barnstable), Boston, Gloucester, and Newburyport.
Port of Boston
Shipping lanes for the busy port of Boston pass diagonally across Stellwagen Bank. The BE buoy on the south end of the banks marks the shipping entrance. Large ships endanger whales and pose the threat of oil pollution.
Commercial Fishing
Regulating commercial fishing in the sanctuary is the responsibility of the U.S. Fisheries Department.  They don't seem to be too interested in the health of the bank for whales and birds.
Policing Whale Watching
On August 18, 2001 the Massachusetts State Environmental Police had 2 boats on Stellwagen Bank to police the whale watching boats. Notice the guy in the front with the video camera.