Where to Go on the Best Puffin Cruise in Maine
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Kids and adults alike enjoyed this tour and it was very interactive. After visiting Petit Manan, our cruise continued on to Schoodic Island in Winter Harbor, the home of a family of Bald Eagles. Along the way we were treated to views of harbor porpoise diving in and out of the water and fisherman pulling up lobster traps. During our visit we caught glimpses of the puffins floating in the waters just off shore of the island and occasionally taking a 360 flight around our boat. Check out Maine nesting birds right from your home from webcams on Seal Island. See puffins and guillemots in their burrows throughout the nesting season.
It's the perfect time to go see Maine's puffins - Bangor Daily News
It's the perfect time to go see Maine's puffins.
Posted: Wed, 08 Jul 2020 07:00:00 GMT [source]
Best timeJune–July
Also on the island is a keeper’s house, fog signal house, oil house, boathouse, and generator house. The lighthouse was built in 1875 and remains active to this day. We follow wildlife viewing guidelines in order to prevent disturbance of the seabirds. Once we haul in the traps, you will have an up close experience with the lobsters and any other critters we happen to catch in our traps!
What You Need to Know About Taking a Puffin Cruise in Maine
Our Bar Harbor cruises are clean and family-oriented and the Acadian & Eden Star are pet-friendly! The boats offer a small snack bar, restrooms, and the large boats also have a heated, indoor cabin. However, please bring a warm jacket or sweater with you on all of our cruises, as temperatures on the water are cooler than they are on shore. Both were so gracious, clearly caring about everyone's comfort and involvement. The knowledge that both shared regarding the local seas, lobsters, crabs, seals, and landmarks was very interesting and informative.
Why Choose Acadian Boat Tours?
It is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. When in Bar Harbor, be sure to leave at least a full day for exploring Acadia National Park. Acadia is the only national park in the northeast and is a must visit. The last lighthouse that we visited was the Winter Harbor Light on Mark Island. The lighthouse was built in 1856 and deactivated in 1933. This Acadia Wildlife tour sails from mid-May through mid – August daily.
Besides puffins, which other species can we expect to see on Eastern Egg Rock?
We caught a variety of sea life in the traps - lobster, crabs, and a sea cucumber. The boat itself was stable, clean, and well maintained. It had flaps to protect from high winds and sea spray, but you are allowed to open the flaps as you want. I am someone who can get seasick easily, but I did not feel even the bit queasy.
See firsthand the National Audubon Society’s success in reestablishing a puffin colony on Eastern Egg Rock. Truly a magnificent “Seafari” for all nature lovers with seals, blue heron, an occasional whale, and other coastal wildlife along the way. The best months to see puffins from tour boats are June and July, but excursions to the islands happen from May through August. We believe strongly in protecting the whales we love and the many we know as individuals and by name.
I would recommend taking this tour or another similar tour to get this unique view of Bar Harbor. After the Winter Harbor Light we continued on past the Porcupine Islands and a protected Osprey Nest. The ride back towards Bar Harbor was filled with more great scenery and wild life. We were delighted to watch more families of Harbor Porpoise’s flying through the water. Egg Rock Light sits on a 12.5 acre island that is part of the Maine Costal Islands National Wildlife Refuge.
The Petit Manan lighthouse is the second tallest lighthouse in Maine.
Tour Boat Operators
See how the National Audubon Society has reestablished a puffin colony on Eastern Egg Rock, as well as lighthouses and other points of interest. Matinicus Rock is set 23 miles (37 km) off the coast from Rockland. Owing to its remoteness, it doesn't have regularly scheduled cruises. But in Rockland, one can rent a boat for a private tour. Bar Harbor’s Puffins and Lighthouse Cruise was one of the highlights of our visit to Acadia National Park in Maine.
We encourage you to visit their websites and speak with the captains to find the right boat tour for you. One of the most popular puffin destinations is Eastern Egg Rock, set 6 miles (10 km) from the shore. The small and scenic island is mostly rock, 7 acres (3 ha) in size.
Set sail aboard the 40′ Tricia Clark, Maine’s original puffin boat. This is a two hour tour out of Pigeon Hill Bay to the stunning Petit Manan Island. During this tour, you will also experience the breathtaking views of the Petit Manan Wildlife Refuge and Bois Bubert Island. After the tour, we recommend hiking the boreal forest trails of Petit Manan Wildlife Refuge. This will give you a beautiful view of Petit Manan Island from ashore. We were able to see many harbor seals sunbathing on the rocks or taking a dip in the harbor water.
On a whale watching tour, you will be able to see these and possibly be able to view various species of sharks and Giant Tuna. There are all kinds of incredible creatures to encounter while cruising the area. Cap’n Fish’s Cruises provides premier whale watching tours and wildlife cruises departing from Boothbay Harbor, Maine. We serve the Camden, Rockland and Freeport areas and are located just an hour North of Portland. However, like all wildlife, puffins move around all of the time and follow their own migration patterns.
About 1,000 nesting pairs settle on Maine islands, while 5,000 choose Machias Seal Island. The latter is located on the border between the Gulf of Maine and Bay of Fundy; hence its territory is claimed by the US and Canada. Puffins' favorites among the Maine islands include Eastern Egg Rock, Matinicus Rock, Petit Manan Island, and Seal Island. The first puffins start arriving in April, and the last leave with the full-grown chicks in late August, but the most rewarding months are June and July. Then you'll observe the largest congregations of these cute birds.
The Project Puffin Visitor Center in Rockland is a great place for people of all ages to learn about the puffin and experience hands-on exhibits. The small, photogenic birds have a black back and head, white belly, orange legs and feet, a white face and a stout but powerful beak outlined in orange. Their white face and small black eyes give them the look of a clown with wings. View and learn about the marvelous creatures we are seeing on our recent tours. The lighthouse was originally built in 1817 as a small stone lighthouse.
The boat will circle the island for about 30 minutes during your puffin tour. The migratory seabird colony on EER is protected during the breeding and nesting season. No people, other than Project Puffin biologists, are allowed on the island. This trip is sure to be an experience to remember as you head offshore into the Gulf of Maine in search of whales and other marine life. Join us aboard the Miss Samantha, Maine’s largest lobster passenger boat!
Today's population owes to the Project Puffin launched in 1973 by the National Audubon Society. To revive the population, they transplanted puffins from Newfoundland. It's quite a bliss to have Atlantic Puffins in New England, even though only in the summer season. Thousands of puffins come to breed on the islands of Maine's coast.
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