Stellwagen Bank Visit one of the world’s premiere whale watching destinations to see breaching humpback whales and more.
The sanctuary's main geologic feature, Stellwagen Bank, sits over a complex layered seabed, supporting life, from the red anemones that attach to hard substrate to the sand lance and sand dollars inhabiting the sand beds. Water movement around and over Stellwagen Bank helps bring nutrients that fuel an abundance of life, including cod, tuna, humpback whales, and a variety of seabirds. One of the world’s most endangered large whales, the North Atlantic right whale, visits the sanctuary during the winter and spring to feed.
Illustration: Matt McIntosh/NOAA
