Stellwagen Bank
| Gerry E. Studds Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary | |
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Humpback whale breaching off the Northwest Corner
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Map of the Stellwagen Bank sanctuary
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| Location | Massachusetts Bay, Massachusetts, United States |
| Coordinates | 42°20′00″N 70°15′00″W / 42.3333°N 70.25°WCoordinates: 42°20′00″N 70°15′00″W / 42.3333°N 70.25°W |
| Area | 638 sq nmi (2,190 km2) |
| Established | 1992 |
| Governing body | NOAA National Ocean Service |
| http://stellwagen.noaa.gov/ | |
Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary (officially the Gerry E. Studds Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary) is an 842-square-mile (638-square-nautical-mile) federally protected marine sanctuary located at the mouth of Massachusetts Bay, between Cape Cod and Cape Ann. It is known as an excellent whale watching site, and is home to many other species of marine life.
The sanctuary lies within Massachusetts Bay, 25 miles (40 km) east of Boston, 5 miles (8.0 km) east of Gloucester, and 5 miles (8.0 km) north of Provincetown, Massachusetts.
The heart of the sanctuary is Stellwagen Bank, an underwater plateau stretching 19 miles (31 km) north to south, and six miles (10 km) across at its widest, near the southern end. The bank is, on average, 100 to 120 feet (30 to 40 meters) below the surface, while surrounding waters to the west are over 300 feet (91 m) deep and to the northeast as deep as 600 feet (200 m).
The steep sides of the plateau cause deep-water currents to rise up when they hit the bank; this upwelling brings with it nutrients and minerals from the bottom, feeding the local ecosystem. Over 130 species from numerous classes of the animal kingdom call the bank home at least temporarily. Some such fish are the Atlantic cod, silver hake, yellow-tail flounder, blue-fin and yellow-fin tuna, striped bass, blue fish and numerous species of shark including the great white shark. Shellfish such as the American lobster, sea scallops, squid and ocean quahogs are also prevalent. Many marine birds call the bank home including gannets, shearwaters, storm petrels, fulmars, puffins and razorbills. Reptiles are even present, primarily being represented by the leatherback sea turtle. Possibly the most famous animals on Stellwagen Bank are the mammals. Five species of seals (harp seal, gray seal, harbor seal, hooded seal, and ringed seal), and numerous whale species swim in the waters of Stellwagen. Whale watchers can frequently see humpback whales, minke whales and fin whales. There are occasional sightings of one of the most critically endangered whale species, North Atlantic right whale. Several other whale species can also be seen here including the sperm whale, beluga, orca, pilot whale, White-beaked dolphin, Atlantic white-sided dolphin, common dolphin, bottlenose dolphin, Risso’s dolphin, harbor porpoise, blue whale, and sei whale.
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