Isles of Shoals, Massachusetts

Today you’re more likely to be startled by the barking of harbor seals lounging in the shade, but the smell of skulduggery is still in the air. The Isles of Shoals are a cluster of rocky islands half a day’s sail north of Gloucester, Massachusetts.

Isolated from the mainland authority, the shoals attracted a hard and troublesome breed in the 18th century. Tales of notorious names like Kidd, Bellamy, and Teach swirl around the water’s edge, and the scent of undiscovered treasure still lingers in the storm-swept waters.

—Nathan Harris

Nathan Harris is a Traveler associate researcher.