The City of Gloucester, MA is located on the southern shore of a rocky cape called "Cape Ann."  Cape Ann juts out into the North Atlantic Ocean directly between two important whale feeding areas: "Stellwagen Bank" and "Jeffrey's Ledge."  Together these two areas make up "Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary."

The primary reason whales visit the waters of Stellwagen Bank Nation Marine Sanctuary is to feed on the abundant food resources that can be found here. Whales in our area have been known to feed on Herring, Copepods, Mackerel, and especially the American Sand Lance.  Pictured above is a Feeding Humpback Whale feeding on Sand Lance in Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary.

Gloucester's location makes it the ideal port to go whale watching from because boats departing from Gloucester have the ability to travel to either Jeffrey's Ledge or Stellwagen Bank, depending upon where whales have most recently been seen and/or reported.  Pictured above is the 7 seas whale watch boat the "Privateer IV."