Stellwagen Bank is a National Marine Sanctuary. National marine sanctuaries are special areas in the ocean and Great Lakes waters around our country; they are often called America’s underwater parks. Sites have been designated for their aesthetic beauty, the bounty of their natural resources, and/or the wealth of their cultural resources. Although some areas within national marine sanctuaries restrict certain activities to protect sanctuary resources, all are managed for compatible uses such as recreation, tourism, travel, and commerce.

The productive waters surrounding Stellwagen Bank have made the area famous as a fishing ground, and its regularly returning whales make it one of the world’s premier whale-watching destinations. The 400-plus years of active vessel traffic inevitably led to accidents, with the sanctuary seafloor now providing the final resting place for many shipwrecks, some of special national significance. These cultural resources give us insights into our nation’s maritime history.

There are several different birding boat tours, whale watches, and pelagic trips that leave from Massachuestts ports. For pelagic trips, familiarize yourself with eBird's pelagic protocol and use the appropriate personal locations or eBird hotspots

The eBird pelagic protocol applies to checklists that are made farther than two miles offshore on oceans, seas, or large lakes. Choose the Pelagic Protocol option from the ‘Other’ menu of Observation Types. Please note that we still have much to learn about seabird distribution, so we encourage you to add photos and notes to document your sightings on your checklists! 

If you’re moving: Count for up to 60 minutes on each checklist; stopping at the 1-hour mark. Record the distance traveled (ideally with eBird Mobile Tracks), adjust the distance estimate for backtracking as you would a traveling checklist, and choose a location on the map for where you started that checklist period. Repeat this process throughout the trip until you return to within two miles of shore.

If you’re anchored: Keep a checklist for as long as you’re anchored, and then follow the above instructions once you start to move again.