Stellwagen Bank is more commonly know to local fishermen as Middle Bank. It is located directly in the middle between Cape Ann and the tip of Cape Cod, hence the name, Middle Bank. It is a bank rich in many species of fish and is strangely enough shaped like a pork chop. The eastern edge slops off slowly like a beach would while the western edge drops off sharply.

Its western edge and Boston create a deep basin. Tide and water rich in nutrients from many of the rivers of eastern Massachusetts travel toward the bank and reaching it create an up welling at the western edge of Stellwagen Bank. Many species of fish and large numbers of whales feed there all summer.

Gloucester is known as the whale watch capital of America. On the whales’ migration north during the summer they stop at Stellwagen Bank and Jefferies Ledge located just east and north off Gloucester. One of them shows the similarity of the shape of the bank and the shape of the vertical part of the arm that makes up Cape Cod.”

Stellwagen Bank; Image created for the HarborWalk by Phil Cusamano; a Gloucester native, photo realist artist and sea captain