The bridge at the end of a summer day. People do jump, as the figure on the right shows; the signs say not to and the current through the channel is strong. The sand below is the place to watch the sky from.
Sengekontacket Pond in Oak Bluffs is a 745-acre coastal pond on Martha's Vineyard and a favorite spot for kayaking and birding.
Sengekontacket Pond covers 745 acres between Oak Bluffs and Edgartown: a tidal, brackish lagoon stretching 2.5 miles with an average depth of just 3–4 feet on the flats. Separated from Nantucket Sound by State Beach and Beach Road, the pond is one of Martha's Vineyard's richest ecosystems for birds, kayaking, and shellfishing.
Current note (verified August 18, 2026): the Town of Oak Bluffs closed Sengekontacket Pond to shellfishing on July 7, 2026 pending further water-quality testing, while Lagoon Pond and outside waters remain open. That is a shellfishing closure, not a swimming advisory. Check the town's website for the current status before harvesting.
Filmed June 2023The island moves on: shops, signs and prices may differ from what you see here. The text of this guide was checked September 2026.
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The American Legion Memorial Bridge ("Jaws Bridge") spans the larger of two tidal inlets at the Oak Bluffs/Edgartown town line. In Jaws, the shark swims through this channel into the pond while Chief Brody's son watches from a sailboat. Two kids with a cardboard fin distracted the beach guards, allowing the shark to pass, one of the film's best-known scenes. Chief Brody (Roy Scheider) sprints along the stone quay perpendicular to the bridge, which is still visible today. Caution: posted signs prohibit jumping and diving from the bridge, and the tidal current through the channel is strong, so watch the water from the sand.
The meadow at Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary, on the pond’s western shore
Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary (a 194-acre Mass Audubon property at 100 Felix Neck Drive, Edgartown) borders the pond and has recorded over 100 bird species. Key species include: osprey (over 100 nesting pairs on the island), great and snowy egrets, herons, federally protected piping plovers and least terns, cormorants, barn owls, and kingfishers. Bioluminescence is visible on select summer nights. Felix Neck trails are open dawn to dusk ($4/adult, free for Mass Audubon members).
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One of the best kayaking spots on the island due to calm, shallow, sheltered waters:
Bay scallops and quahogs are the primary shellfish species (town permit required). Scallop season: October 1–March/April, hand harvest and diving only; no dragging permitted. The pond is closed to shellfishing June through September due to elevated bacteria counts. Striped bass, bluefish, and scup are caught near the inlets, especially during the annual Martha's Vineyard Striped Bass and Bluefish Derby (September–October). Permits, limits and the island's other shellfish waters are in our oysters and scallops guide. The island's other ponds, and the science behind the closures, are in our ponds guide.
For the full car-free guide, State Beach and Sengekontacket Pond are accessible via VTA Route 13 and the Beach Road bike path.
Exploring the town? Start with our complete Oak Bluffs guide: food, beaches, parking and the local rhythm, all in one place.
Island tip of the dayInsiderNo. 84 of 86New tip at midnight, island time
A 502-foot breach opened at Norton Point on January 1, 2026, cutting the sand link between Katama and Chappaquiddick: the Chappy Ferry is once again the only way across, likely for years. OSV drivers should check current beach access with the town of Edgartown.
The Feast of the Holy Ghost in Oak Bluffs, held every third full weekend of July since 1928: the Queen Isabel legend behind the free soup, the Sunday parade from the ferry up Circuit Avenue, the crown blessed at Our Lady Star of the Sea, the sopas at the Portuguese-American Club, the club the rest of the year, and how a visitor should behave at the island's Portuguese feast.
Rip currents, tidal channels, sharks, bacteria closures, wartime ordnance and cold water: the Martha's Vineyard beach safety guide, with the 2026 incidents (the Long Point drowning, the Norton Point possible shark bite, the Lucy Vincent sighting), which beaches have lifeguards and when they leave, how to escape a rip, and where the hospital is.
East Chop Lighthouse in Oak Bluffs: the 1878 cast-iron tower on Telegraph Hill, the Sunday sunset openings run by the Martha's Vineyard Museum, the semaphore and Chocolate Lighthouse history, and the bus stop and parking below the hill.
Shearer Cottage, Dorothy West, the Inkwell and 30 marked sites across the island: how to walk or tour the African American Heritage Trail of Martha's Vineyard.
Which Martha's Vineyard beaches are open to visitors, which need stickers or permits, and what everything costs in 2026: town by town, gate by gate.
Complete guide to all 20 Martha's Vineyard beaches: parking costs, lifeguard schedules, dog rules, swimming safety, sticker requirements, and ADA access.
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