Why was the area considered special and deemed worthy of sanctuary designation?
For centuries, Stellwagen Bank has proved to be a rich and productive fishing ground, particularly for groundfish species like cod, haddock and flounder. Fishermen have also been able to catch giant Atlantic bluefin tuna, large sharks, and large schools of herring. During the second half of the 20th century, the area gained fame as a whale watching destination. The World Wildlife Fund named Cape Cod one of the ten top whale watching sites in the world (but since there is little land-based whale watching on the Cape, we like to think that the true Top Ten site on the list is Stellwagen Bank).
