Pleasant Bay is a bay of the Atlantic Ocean just north of the “elbow” of Cape Cod in Massachusetts. It is bounded on the east by a long peninsula and a barrier island and harbors 7,825 acres of saltwater when the tide is in.

Pleasant Bay is the largest contiguous bay along the Cape Cod National Seashore. It is located along the towns of Orleans, Chatham, Harwich, and a small part of Brewster. It also includes several beaches and islands.

The first people to discover the bay were the Native American tribe the Nausets. They referred to it as Monomoyik which translates to “Great Bay”. It is also reported that in this area Squanto, the guide of the Mayflower Pilgrims, is buried. The area is full of artifacts and places that hold the names of these Native American tribes.

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.