Diving
in the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary
Dive
Sites
Sanctuary
map showing areas that are less
than 130 feet in depth.
Stellwagen
Bank
Surprisingly,
fifteen percent of the sanctuary is shallower than 130 feet. Much
of this area lies atop Stellwagen Bank. The bank's shallowest
depths are at the southern end where it rises to within 65 feet
of the surface. In this area, the sandy bottom is pockmarked with
lobster holes. Moving north from this area, the top of the bank
slopes to a relatively constant depth of 110 feet. The seafloor
is covered by sand ripples and gravel plains interspersed by small
boulder fields.
Jeffreys Ledge
On the northern edge of the sanctuary, rocky ridges on the southern
edge of Jeffreys Ledge rise to within 115 feet of the surface.
Interspersed between the rocky ridges are areas of sand and mud.
Sanctuary Hill
In the sanctuary's northeast corner, Sanctuary Hill rises from
325 feet to 115 feet and is topped with solid granite.
Shipwrecks
The fishing vessel Josephine Marie lies on the southern end of
Stellwagen Bank in 100 feet of water. The 80-foot long steel-hulled
stern trawler sank in 1992 and now lies upside down.
The
Josephine Marie in Gloucester. Courtesy of John Harper.
Josephine Marie Coordinates (two formats provided):
Decimal
Degrees = N 42.18208 W 70.22443
Degrees
Minutes = N 42 10.925 W 70 13.466
Click
here for more information on the Josephine Marie
What will I see?
The sanctuary is home to a broad variety of marine life and the
animals you will see depends upon the environment you visit. In
the sand and gravel areas on top of Stellwagen Bank you're likely
to see a smattering of encrusting organisms such as sponges, tunicates,
and anemones. Mussels, clams, scallops, moon snails, and whelks
are common. Fish life includes sculpins, skates, flounders, goosefish,
and cod. Schools of dogfish, herring, pollock, and sand lance
make dives on top of the bank particularly exciting.
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When
diving on the rocky ridges and boulder fields you will encounter
a greater variety and density of encrusting invertebrates,
in often spectacular color. Look under boulders and in crevices
for wolf eels or ocean pout. Many of the fishes seen in the
sand and gravel areas also frequent boulder and rocky areas. |
While
ascending and descending, keep a lookout for blue sharks, tuna,
and ocean sunfish, as well as several varieties of jellyfish.
Once back on the boat warming up after your dive, look for humpback,
minke, or finback whales. It is also possible to spot ocean sunfish
and basking sharks.
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