Stellwagen Bank
National Marine Sanctuary

Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, a wild ocean place near an urban world, sits east of Boston, Massachusetts between Cape Ann and Cape Cod. Historically important as a fishing ground, New England's only national marine sanctuary now reigns as a premier whale watching destination and continues to support commercial and recreational fishing. Its shipwrecks serve as time capsules of our nation's maritime history.

Sanctuary News

Whales in Motion

In April 2024, Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary staff and volunteers participated in Whales In Motion through Sound Explorations, a special interactive exhibit celebrating Massachusetts Right Whale Day at Boston’s Museum of Science. Blind and visually-impaired students and adults experienced the locomotion and foraging behavior of humpback and North Atlantic right whales through 3D sculpture models with musicians performing live. As participants ran their hands across these sculpture models, musicians performed action-specific melodies that matched the same contour and shape of the model.

Sand Lance Animation

Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management partnered for groundbreaking research to understand the ecological and commercial value of sand habitat. Video Credit: BOEM/NOAA SBNMS

the massive head of a whale pokes above the ocean surface next to a team of researchers on a small boat
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Tagging Humpbacks: Where Biology, Conservation, and Engineering Meet

three people on a dock in life jackets
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Annual Safety Day Training

Right whale peeking out of the water
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Smelly Gas Helps Researchers Track Right Whales

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A Whale of a Time

A breaching humpback whale
A humpback whale breaches in SBNMS. Photo: SBNMS/Ari Friedlaender, NOAA Research Permit #14245

Thinking of going on a whale watch? Visit our whale watching pages to prepare for your trip. Check WHALESENSE to find environmentally responsible companies. Learn about local whale research.

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A Gray fish with teeth peers out of a small opening
A wolffish peers out of its den. Photo: SBNMS/Matthew Lawrence

The sanctuary supports sustainable recreational fishing. Check regulations before heading out. Learn about local species, and find out about funding opportunities for education, outreach, and research projects that promote sustainable, ethical recreational fishing.

Multimedia

Immerse yourself in the ocean and your national marine sanctuaries without getting wet!

Dive Into Stellwagen Bank

National Marine Sanctuary System

national marine sanctuary system map

The Office of National Marine Sanctuaries serves as the trustee for a network of underwater parks encompassing more than 620,000 square miles of marine and Great Lakes waters from Washington state to the Florida Keys, and from Lake Huron to American Samoa. The network includes a system of 16 national marine sanctuaries and Papahānaumokuākea and Rose Atoll marine national monuments.