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• 716 acres, spans Oak Bluffs and Edgartown
• 4,464-acre watershed

Sengie, as it is familiarly called, is one of the most visible coastal ponds on the Vineyard, separated from Nantucket Sound by the scenic Beach Road which runs along the shore from Edgartown to Oak Bluffs. On the Edgartown side it is called Anthier’s Pond, while Sengekontacket lies on the Oak Bluffs end. A popular public bike path runs along the pond side. Rich with bay scallops and quahaugs, the pond is a haven for shellfishermen. Shorebirds forage for food in the salt marshes and nest at Sarson’s island in the center of the pond. Rounding out the colorful scene are kayakers and windsurfers in the summer months, flyfishermen in the fall.

Two tidal inlets running under bridges connect the pond with Nantucket Sound. But trouble is on the horizon at Sengie, where more than one study shows excessive amounts of nitrogen in the water. The pond is often closed to shellfishing after heavy rainfall due to pollutants that wash in from the road and waterfowl. Edgartown and Oak Bluffs recently launched a project to grow oysters in the pond to help reduce nitrogen levels.