NOAA's Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary

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NOAA's Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary

New England's only National Marine Sanctuary, located east of Boston and between Cape Ann and Cape Cod. HQ offices in Scituate, MA.

Visit the sanctuary's website at http://stellwagen.noaa.gov for more information.

06/12/2026

Upcoming Event: June 14th, Salt at Salem Sound Coastwatch 5K, Beverly, MA 🐳🏃‍♂️🌊

We will be hosting tours of Salt, the life-sized inflatable Humpback whale at Dane Street Beach! Stop by from 8 am - 11 am to go inside the whale for an anatomy tour featuring inflatable organs! We will also have an outreach table with posters, stickers, hands-on learning materials and more! Will we see you there?

📸: Salt the inflatable whale. Credit: Alice Stratton/NOAA

06/10/2026

This week is National Fishing and Boating Week! 🚤⛵🎣🐟

Fishing and boating are both great ways to !

There have been commercial fishing boats traveling the waters of what is now the sanctuary for centuries. And for anyone who enjoys recreational fishing, the sanctuary offers opportunities to catch a variety of fishes – some with filets that will grace the table, and others that will give viewers an appreciation of the diversity of life in the ocean.

You can learn more about fishing and boating best practices here: https://stellwagen.noaa.gov/visit/fishing.html

📸: Underwater view of people fishing from the back of a recreational vessel. Credit: Matt McIntosh, NOAA

06/04/2026

Upcoming Event: June 5th, Opening of the Harbor, Scituate Harbor, MA 🌊🚢🐋

Tomorrow we will participate in the Opening of the Harbor during Scituate's monthly First Friday event. We will host public tours of our research vessel, the R/V Auk, from the Harbormaster dock in Scituate Harbor. We will also have an outreach table with posters, stickers and hands-on materials to explore. Join us from 4 pm - 8 pm.

📸: Our outreach table with the R/V Auk in the background during the 2025 Opening of the Harbor event. Credit: Caitlin Fitzmaurice/NOAA

06/01/2026

Upcoming Event: June 2nd, Augenmusik Premiere at Scituate Performing Arts Center, Scituate, MA 🐋🎶🐟

We are working with a local band director and a local composer to create a music piece highlighting Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary. The composition follows the "whale pump" process, or how whales are the fertilizers of the ocean. Whale p**p contributes nutrients for plankton, which provide food for sand lance, which in turn feed Humpback whales. The premiere will take place during the Scituate Middle School Spring concert and the piece will be played by the middle school band! Concert starts at 7 pm! Join us at 6:45 pm for a pre-concert lecture about Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary!

📸: Sanctuary staff and partners pose with scores of "Five Musical Snapshots of Salt" by Jacquelyn Hazle during a 2023 music premiere event. Credit: Anne-Marie Runfola/NOAA

05/30/2026

The Get Into Your Sanctuary Photo Contest is now OPEN! 🌊📸🐋⛵

If you'll be visiting Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, or any of your other favorite National Marine Sanctuaries, we want to see your photos!

The categories for 2026 are:
Life in Motion: challenges photographers to capture natural wildlife behavior, from feeding and hunting to schooling, caregiving, and symbiotic relationships.

Sanctuaries and You: highlights the ways people experience sanctuaries through diving, boating, paddling, research, education, and everyday moments on or near the water.

The Water’s Edge: explores the boundary where land and sea meet, including shorelines, tidepools, coastal landscapes, and split-level perspectives.

Ripples From the Past: focuses on maritime heritage, including shipwrecks, aircraft, lighthouses, historic bridges, and cultural landmarks.

Please ensure you are practicing responsible wildlife viewing while capturing your photos. Give wildlife lots of space and follow all local and federal guidelines and laws.

Entries open through Labor Day weekend. Learn more about entering here: https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/photo-contest.html

📸: Humpback whale breaching. 2024 Get Into Your Sanctuary Photo Contest Entry. Credit: Benjamin Forrester

05/28/2026

We have a few events coming up next week! 🐳

On Tuesday, June 2nd we will be at the Scituate Performing Arts Center premiering a new music piece highlighting Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary. The composition follows the "whale pump" process, or how whales are the fertilizers of the ocean. Whale p**p contributes nutrients for plankton, which provide food for sandlance, which in turn feed Humpback whales. This will take place during the Scituate Middle School Spring concert and the piece will be played by the middle school band! Concert starts at 7 pm!

On Friday, June 5th we will participate in the Opening of the Harbor during Scituate's monthly First Friday event. We will host public tours of our research vessel, the R/V Auk, from the Harbormaster dock in Scituate Harbor. We will also have an outreach table with posters, stickers and hands-on materials to explore. Join us from 5 pm - 8 pm.

On Sunday, June 7th we will be celebrating World Ocean Day at New England Aquarium in Boston, MA. Join us for a tour of Salt, the life-sized inflatable Humpback whale! We will be on the front plaza from 10 am - 4 pm.

Stay tuned for more summer events!

📸: People enjoy tours of the R/V Auk at the 2025 Opening of the Harbor in Scituate, MA. Credit: Samantha Tolken/NOAA

05/25/2026

Today, we honor and remember the brave men and women who gave their lives in service to our nation.

On this Memorial Day, we reflect on the sacrifices made— on land and at sea— and extend our deepest gratitude.

📸: A Humpback whale arches its back behind an American flag. Credit: Laura Howes/NOAA

05/23/2026

Happy ! 🐢

Did you know that you can find sea turtles in Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary? There are four species of sea turtles that can be seen during the summer months: Leatherback, Loggerhead, Kemp's Ridley and Green sea turtles. It can be tricky to find a sea turtle because they spend a lot of time underwater, sometimes holding thier breath for more than an hour! If you are lucky enough to spot a turtle at the surface, be sure to give it plenty of space.

This is a Leatherback sea turtle spotted during one of our S4 (Stellwagen Sanctuary Seabird Stewards) trips last summer! Leatherbacks are the largest turtles in the world, reaching 5-6 feet in length and weighing up to 1,000 pounds! All photos were taken from a safe distance with a zoom lens.

📸: Leatherback sea turtle. Credit: Caitlin Fitzmaurice/NOAA

Address

175 Edward Foster Road
Scituate, MA
02066

Telephone

+17815458026

Website

https://stellwagen.noaa.gov/

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