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Acadia Puffin Cruise

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About Acadia Puffin Cruise

Posted on September 4, 2018 by acadianpuffin

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.

Petit Manan is home to a variety of seabirds and water-dwelling mammals, more notably the Atlantic Puffin. Other species you may see are Razorbills, Arctic Terns, Roseate Terns, Common Terns, Guillemots, Cormorants, Bald Eagles, Eiders, and a variety of gulls. There is also opportunity to see both Harbor and Gray Seals.

Petit Manan Lighthouse was constructed in 1857. The light is a conical granite tower, standing at 119 feet tall, making this the second tallest lighthouse in Maine. It is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Petit Manan light is still in service today.

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Puffin and Lighthouse Cruise

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• 1 West Street Bar Harbor ME 04609
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May 9th-August 16th: 9:30 AM

See two of Maine's most iconic symbols: puffins and lighthouses! This three-hour cruise visits a puffin nesting island, three lighthouses, and cruises along the shore of Acadia National Park! Travel on one of our state-of-the-art catamarans equipped with amenities such as a galley and restrooms! A naturalist will point out wildlife and landmarks throughout the cruise! Sailing daily at 9:30 AM (May 9th-August 16th).

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• Atlantic puffins and other seabirds!
• Three island lighthouses!
• Beautiful coastal scenery including Acadia National Park!
• Ride aboard comfortable jet-powered catamarans!
• Guided by local naturalists and historians!

See Atlantic puffins on this cruise!

Bald Eagles are a common sighting during boat cruise!

Ride aboard one of our jet-powered catamarans! Egg Rock Lighthouse is a featured light on this cruise!

Seals basking on ledges near Egg Rock Lighthouse!

Visiting the osprey family nesting in a nearby daymaker!

Puffins can sometimes be seen just feet from the boat!

Egg Rock is part of Maine Coastal Island Wildlife Refuge!

Razorbills and puffins hanging out just along the shore of Petit Manan! Photo: Ruth Hill

Eiders are a common waterfowl seen in the area!

Northern gannets are a large pelagic seabird that will come closer to shore in the summer months.

Winter Harbor Lighthouse is a quaint lighthouse just off the shores of Acadia National Park and Schoodic Peninsula!!

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PUFFIN WATCH WITH NATIONAL AUDUBON

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• Hour Glass Duration: 1.5 Hours
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Must be leashed or kenneled.

Minimum of 30, peak season, pricing applicable from july 1-labor day, puffin tours in maine from new harbor.

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We offer educational cruises to school groups throughout the State of Maine and beyond! Contact us to enjoy an educational cruise!

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For an incredible trip of a lifetime, plan on taking a puffin and/or whale watching cruise along the coast of Mount Desert Island and Acadia National Park. In addition to seeing a variety of whale species, you will be able to view seals, bald eagles, porpoises, dolphins, falcons and the most notable birds in the area - North Atlantic Puffins.

Providers these companies can get you there.

Bar Harbor Whale Watch Company

(207) 288-2386.

• Bar Harbor, ME
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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.

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Robertson Sea Tours & Adventures

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Located in Milbridge, ME, we offer puffin/seabird and whale watching tours

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Scenic flights of acadia, (207) 667-6527.

We can customize a tour with your locations in mind, or choose from Fall Colors, area lighthouses, Acadia National Park, Schoodic Point and more. Even a BiPlane option.

Sunrise Cafe - Dine In or Take Out

(207) 288-3948.

We are located next to Bar Harbor Whale Watch, so grab food from our cafe to bring on the boat with you, including coffees, pastries, lobster rolls and other sandwiches.

Bangor Vacation Rentals - 45 mins away, save $$

(207) 974-6226.

You will love the newness and cleanliness of our rental properties, well-maintained and affordably priced to save $$ relative to the Bar Harbor area.

Bar Harbor Motel | Your Basecamp for Adventure

(800) 388-3453.

Guests enjoy easy access to the BH shuttle, taking you to most of downtown shops and attractions (like tours). We are centrally between town and Acadia Park 1.5 miles away.

Maine Campah Rentals - trailer & RV rentals

Keep us in mind if wanting to utilize our cost-efficient form of lodging. We can deliver an RV, campervan or trailer to your location to enjoy camping in the Acadia area

The Gulf of Maine and the region that encompasses Acadia National Park is rich with marine life. Among the marine life are Finback, Humpback and Minke whales. 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.

This area is also home to the Atlantic Puffin - previously know as the Common Puffin. This pigeon-sized seabird actually lives on the open ocean during the majority of the year. They are well suited for this life. Puffins swim underwater, using their wings to propel them through the water, while their feet act as a ruder. Puffins do not live on the land other than during the breeding season. They are a true sea bird, living, swimming and riding the ocean waves regardless of the weather.

It is pure joy to be able to observe these unique and fascinating birds in their native habitats. Don't miss this opportunity. Book a cruise today that will enable you to see both whales and puffins in their natural environment.

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Other Whale Watching Resources

The Bar Harbor Whale Museum is a museum focusing solely on the Gulf of Maine's whale and seal populations.

The ULTIMATE Guide to Seeing Puffins in Maine

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If you aren’t intrigued by puffins in Maine, we encourage you to keep reading! These colorful and elusive birds with boisterous calls and curious tendencies were once extinct, but thanks to the dedicated efforts of scientists at Puffin Project, the birds came back to the Pine Tree State.

Wait until you hear how they had to be tricked into returning!

Now, puffin tours in Maine are among the most popular activities during the high season, offering visitors scenic views and a chance to see these majestic birds.

But the trips take some careful planning and generous understanding from the visitors who want to get a peek at puffins. Read on to find out how you can see puffins for yourself!

Getting to Know the Puffin

You’ll find Atlantic puffins in Maine, one of four puffin variations in the world. The scientific name is Fratercula arctica, meaning “little brother of the north.”

Puffins are known for their striking black and white plumage. They also have a black back and white chest, with distinctive orange-red webbed feet. The most iconic feature is their brightly colored, triangular beak.

This has earned them the nicknames “sea parrot” and “ocean clown.”

As the name suggests, Atlantic Puffins are only found in the Atlantic Ocean. Iceland is the top destination for puffins and is home to the world’s largest colony of puffins.

LISTEN : The distinct (and rather mind-boggling) mating call of an Atlantic Puffin .

Puffins live at sea most of their lives, only coming to land to build a nest and mate. Puffins love being around each other, but don’t like people so much; that’s why the puffin tours in Maine have to be carefully planned.

Puffins measure a foot to a foot and a half tall and grow to about the weight of a soda can. Their daily diet consists of small fish and some crustaceans with adults feasting on up to 40 fish a day.

These colorful birds live about 20 years on average, living on the open ocean for most of the year before returning to remote islands during the breeding season. The birds mate for life, returning to a colony once a year to produce an egg.

How Did Puffins Disappear from Maine?

One hundred years ago, puffins were hunted for their feathers, eggs, or meat. Overfishing caused the food supply to dwindle as well. Puffins eat small fish from nearby waters, and when the sea is overfished, parental puffins don’t have enough to feed their pufflings, which can eat up 100 fish a day.

DID YOU KNOW? : In 2008, Sex & the City fans watched Carrie Bradshaw famously say, “I put a bird on my head, ” referring to her bridal gown accessories. Turns out, Carrie was tapping into a fashion trend of the past. Another reason puffins were hunted was for “millinery purposes,” meaning the fashion trends in the late 1800s included feathers and stuffed birds on women’s hats.

In 1901, just one pair of puffins returned to Maine. Fast forward to the 1970s, the Puffin Project attempted to bring the colorful birds back. Since puffins only want to go where other puffins are, Stephen Kress and his team of scientists put decoy puffins on the island and created burrows for the birds.

This project worked and now most estimates put Maine’s puffin population at around 3,000.

How Puffins Eat

Have you heard the saying, “A bird and a fish may fall in love, but where would they live?”

Puffins seem to be the answer to that riddle. These birds who love to live at sea can swim up to a minute underwater and dive up to 200 feet. They are essentially flying underwater using wings for speed and webbed feet to steer.

Their beaks have spiny points inside that allow them to carry fish back to shore. While one dive usually catches about ten fish, one count holds the record at 62 fish in one beak! Once above water, they can fly at speeds up to 55 miles per hour!

Planning a Puffin Tour on Your Maine Vacation

Since puffins love to live at sea, you can only take a puffin tour in Maine from May through August when the birds come to their colonies.

They need isolated spaces away from predators and people. That means you must travel to isolated places to see them but can’t get too close.

It’s important to know that puffins won’t come to the mainland, so dash any hopes of a puffin pack coming to beg for your lobster roll in Kennebunkport or Portland.

To start your puffin excursion, you can visit the Puffin Project offices in Rockland, Maine.

If you’d like to save time, you can watch this documentary , which is shown at the offices.

A few things to know before you book a puffin tour:

• Most cruises can’t and won’t stop at the island to give puffins the solitude they need. Many of the nesting habitats are protected by the Audubon Society.
• Only ONE island tour allows visitors to walk on land, and that number is VERY limited (more on booking that tour can be found below).
• The islands are remote, some more than others, so visitors prone to seasickness should know this in advance.
• You will see a lot more than just puffins on the tour, with the potential to spot whales , seals, and dozens of other birds.
• You’ll want to bring binoculars and a camera with a long lens.

Where to Find Puffins in Maine

Puffins aren’t found on just any islands. As noted above, they return to the same colonies year after year, so only certain islands are part of official puffin tours.

Below, we’ve detailed the location and the port of call for many different tours.

Eastern Egg Rock

This seven-acre island is most synonymous with puffins. It’s where the puffins were first reintroduced to Maine.

The National Audubon’s Project Puffin Seabird Restoration Program team narrates two puffin tours to Eastern Egg Rock, an experience you can’t get with any other vendors. You’ll hear directly from those who made puffins come home again.

Eastern Egg Rock is also one of the closest islands to shore, offering calmer seas than the more distant trips.

Three tour boats can take visitors around Eastern Egg Rock.

• The Hardy Boat : Departs from New Harbor daily during puffin season.
• Cap’n Fish’s Cruises : Departs from Boothbay Harbor four times a week, with options for a puffin and whale-watching tour.
• Monhegan Boat Line : Departs from Port Clyde four times a week from mid-June through August.

Is Monhegan Boat Line still operating? In late September 2023, an out-of-control fire burned through the historic buildings on the Port Clyde dock. The Monhegan Boat Line office was badly burned , but the boats kept running. Visitors are welcomed and encouraged to visit this seaside community as it heals.

Machias Seal Island

The Machias Seal Island (not to be confused with Seal Island below) excursion is hands-down one of the best puffin tours, most unique experiences, and hardest boat seat to get in Maine. Several aspects make this an epic tour.

First, there’s the land dispute about who owns the island. Canada and the United States have each claimed ownership. Luckily, they share the land nicely. Let’s be honest – the puffins really own this island — thousands of them.

This is the only puffin tour in Maine that allows you to go onto the island where puffins live. Only one tour is given each day, and seats are limited to no more than 15 people .

Once you’re on the island, you’ll be guided to blinds, where you stand inside to be surrounded by the puffins, getting as close as three feet to the majestic birds.

Those who don’t want to ride the dinghy to the island or walk the treacherous trail are welcome to stay on the boat. You’ll still get great puffin views. Plan for 5+ hours for this trip.

Only one tour company on the U.S. side offers this trip: Bold Coast Charter Company out of Cutler Harbor.

Matinicus Rock

The distant island of Matinicus is one of the most underappreciated islands in Maine, though that’s how the locals like it.

Remember earlier when we said just one pair of puffins survived the harvesting in the early 1900s? Those puffins were on Matinicus Rock, five miles southeast of Matinicus island and plantation.

You’ll be a good 23 miles off the coast of Maine, so strong sea legs and an appetite for adventure are a must.

Just one boat option is available to visit Matinicus Rock, where the puffins play. That’s Matinicus Excursions departing out of Rockland.

The island, where Matinicus Rock Lighthouse also stands, is off-limits to foot traffic during nesting season.

Petit Manan Island

This 16-acre island is 10 miles east of the Schoodic Peninsula, making it one of a few options for those visiting Bar Harbor, Winter Harbor, and Acadia National Park . The second-tallest lighthouse in the state is on Petit Manan.

The island is part of the Petit Manan National Wildlife Refuge . As with many other islands, no island walking is allowed during nesting season, but you have four tour options to explore the perimeter of the island.

Bar Harbor Whale Watch

You have two ways to see puffins on a cruise from this Bar Harbor departure point.

First, a whale-watching cruise will go by Petit Manan Island for puffin fans. Second, take a puffin and lighthouse tour to see more of the waters off Mount Desert Island and the Schoodic Peninsula.

Acadian Boat Tours

Another Bar Harbor favorite, this tour promises puffins, lighthouses, and seabirds in less than four hours.

You’ll explore the shoreline of the mainland Petit Manan island while passing three lighthouses. These boat tours only fill to half capacity, offering plenty of room to explore two boat decks.

Acadia Puffin Cruise

Here’s a piece of privy puffin information — if you’re tired of booked puffin cruises or concerned you won’t get close enough, take the journey to Steuben, Maine, less than 50 miles from Bar Harbor.

The departure dock is about as close as you’ll get to Petit Manan Island, offering respite from rough seas while still getting closer to the island than most other boats can.

Three tours a day are offered, making it easy to schedule around your itinerary.

See Schoodic Peninsula: While you’re on this side of Acadia National Park, explore the Schoodic Peninsula and don’t miss Schoodic Point!

Robertson Sea Tours

Also on the Schoodic side, you can head to Millbridge and catch a puffin cruise on a lobster boat. The seabird sightings are just part of the fun. You’ll get the lighthouse views and help pull in a lobster trap if you’d like.

Since this is a smaller boat, you’ll be able to get closer to the puffin colonies while still being the required distance away.

Seal Island

Even farther out than Matinicus Rock, Seal Island is also a wildlife refuge.

Be sure you’re looking at Seal Island with a Vinalhaven address since there are several Seal Islands in Maine.

If you’re a bird fan, you should also know this tour will include Great Cormorant sightings in addition to puffins. The tours kick off yearly with the Wings, Waves, and Woods festival on Deer Isle.

Your options include:

• Isle au Haut Boat Services : Tours are held on Sundays during puffin season, with a few Wednesday trips. Departs from Stonington.
• Swan’s Island Charters : You’ll need to take the ferry to Swan’s Island from Bass Harbor on the southwest side of Mount Desert Island to reach the charter departure point. You’ll get two stops on Isle au Haut during this adventure but check the price tag. It might be outside of many travel budgets.

You’re Prepared for Puffins

We hope this article has been helpful for planning a trip to see puffins in Maine. Puffins have made quite the comeback in Maine, and while it’s hard to guarantee puffin sightings, it’s a rare trip that doesn’t see any during the height of puffin season.

To prepare for puffin cuteness and to get excited for a future puffin tour, here’s a live camera with recorded sightings if you’re viewing during the off-season.

Jennifer Hardy is a journalist and content creator with more than 30 years of experience covering news, travel, and safety from coast to coast. When she's not behind a keyboard, she's out in nature with her golden retrievers.

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Book Your Boat Cruise Adventure Today! Whales, Lighthouses, Acadia, Lobster Fishing & More!

DOWNEAST OFFSHORE SEABIRD & LIGHTHOUSE CRUISE

6.5 HOURS • JULY 20TH • OFFSHORE SEABIRDS & LIGHTHOUSES

Ages 15 and Older

Ages 5 and under, our 2025 cruise is tentatively planned for mid-july stay tuned for details, join us for an adventure offshore to view remote lighthouse stations and seabird nesting islands puffins, murres, razborbills, shearwaters, petrels and more.

A unique excursion for both birding and lighthouse enthusiasts!

Join expert guides Bob Duchesne and Zack Klyver for an all-day offshore boat cruise exploring seabird islands home to historical offshore lighthouses!

This adventure off the Downeast coast and eastern Gulf of Maine offers a chance to see unique seabird species including: Atlantic puffins, razorbills, common murres, Arctic terns, common terns, northern gannets, shearwaters, Wilson’s storm petrels, phalaropes, and other pelagic species!

The cruise will also feature the following offshore lighthouses: Petit Manan, Machias Seal, Mount Desert Rock, and Great Duck Island!

Other wildlife sightings are possible such as harbor and gray seals, whales, porpoise, and dolphins!

Make sure to have binoculars and camera ready for this experience! The itinerary will include a stop at each island lighthouse, providing great opportunities to view and photograph both the lighthouses and wildlife!

Space is limited, so reserve your spot aboard the Friendship V, today!

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A group of Atlantic Puffins.

Two puffins on a rock.

An Atlantic Puffin prepares for landing with a mouthful of Herring.

Puffins at Machias Seal Island off of the coast of Maine.

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Puffin Watching

Maine ocean islands provide the only nesting sites for Atlantic puffins in the United States. Eastern Egg Rock in the midcoast region, Seal Island and Matinicus Rock at the mouth of Penobscot Bay, and Machias Seal Island and Petit Manan Island off the downeast coast provide habitat for more than 4,000 puffins each summer.

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.

Puffin Tours

The best months to see puffins from tour boats are June and July, but excursions to the islands happen from May through August. Early in the day the birds can be seen flying between the nest and the water bringing food to their young, while late-day activity is more relaxed with loafing on the rocks or rafting together on the surface of the water.

Tour boats depart from Jonesport, Cutler, Bar Harbor, Millbridge, Stonington, Rockland, Boothbay Harbor, New Harbor and Port Clyde depending on which puffin colony you wish to visit. Some have naturalists on board to share details about the birds and their island homes. You can head out to Eastern Egg Rock on a tour from Boothbay or New Harbor narrated by National Audubon’s Project Puffin so you get the history of puffins and the Eastern Egg Rock restoration directly from people involved with the project. Machias Seal Island is the only island that visitors can land on and view puffins from close range behind blinds.

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.

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Maine Moose Watching Tours

Experience Moose up close! Small and private moose watching tours offered daily. Maine's top outfitter and guide service for Fishing, Moose watching, ATV offroad rentals and tours. Canoe and kayak rentals.

Phone: 2076953288, 8662231380

Website: www.maineoutfitter.com

Address: 5 Lily Bay Rd , Greenville

Maine Photo Safari

Maine Photo Safari provides tours guided by Maine Artist and photographer Doug Mills to some of the...

Phone: (207) 691-6209

Address: Pleasant Street , Rockland

The Stanton Bird Club - Thorncrag Nature Sanctuary

Founded in 1919 and named in honor of Dr. Jonathan Y. Stanton, a professor at Bates College. A...

Phone: 207-782-5238

Website: www.stantonbirdclub.org

Address: PO Box 3172 , Lewiston

Wells Reserve at Laudholm

Open every day and easy to access, it's a place to discover.

Phone: (207) 646-1555

Website: www.wellsreserve.org

Address: 342 Laudholm Farm Rd , Wells

Katahdin Photo Tours

Guided photo tours in the Katahdin area of Northern Maine near Baxter State Park.

Moose Watching Tours

Maine Moose watching trips offered daily! Voted #1 in New England by Yankee Magazine for the best chance of finding Moose!

Phone: 207-695-3288, 866-223-1380

Address: PO Box 160 , Greenville

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Whale Watch & Puffin Combo Cruise

See It All In One Afternoon!

Quick Details

• Hour Glass Duration: Approx. 4+ hours

Minimum of 30

Perfect for nature lovers.

This special cruise is designed for the nature lover that wants it all in just one afternoon! Cruise aboard the Harbor Princess, Mid Coast Maine’s largest and fastest vessel! Powered by brand new, green, clean burning tier 3 diesel engines.

Venture to Eastern Egg Rock to see puffins, then look for whales at Maine’s prime feeding grounds. Great cruise for the entire family, with food, drinks, grill, and full bar aboard.

Some of the wildlife we will be seeking are w hales, Atlantic puffins, pelagic birds, ocean sunfish, seals, dolphins, sharks, and more.

Click to help decide which cruise is right for you!

Our promise.

Our team does their best to provide you with a high quality experience and has a long-history of conducting successful trips. However, wildlife moves around all of the time so we don’t follow the same route for every trip. That means that these cruises may run longer than 4 hours, so plan accordingly. If no whales or puffins are sighted on YOUR trip, you will receive a standby ticket good for another whale watch, puffin cruise, or other cruises. Sorry, no refunds. Please see Terms and Conditions .

Related Cruises

• Hour Glass 2.5 hours

AUDUBON PUFFIN & SCENIC CRUISE

See how the National Audubon Society has reestablished a puffin colony on Eastern Egg Rock, as well as lighthouses and other points of interest.

• Hour Glass Approx. 3.5 hours

BOOTHBAY HARBOR WHALE WATCHING CRUISE

See whales, dolphins, sharks, seals, and more at Maine’s prime whale feeding grounds and enjoy a tour of the Boothbay Harbor region!

• Hour Glass Approx. 4.5 hours

SPECIAL PELAGIC BIRD CRUISE

Join us on this one of a kind cruise dedicated to off-shore birding! The fall excursion gives a chance at some very sought after pelagic species, such as the Great Skua.

Where to See Puffins in Maine: 5 Great Places (2024)

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When visitors start planning a trip to the Maine coast, a few things immediately come to mind— lobsters , lighthouses, diminutive fishing villages, and lots of scenic vistas.  But if you time your trip just right and are up for some planning, you might be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of a rare treat: the Atlantic puffin.  

Puffins in Maine

You’ve likely seen puffins before in calendars, on wildlife shows, or in tourism brochures for far-flung, frigid destinations like Iceland, Greenland, and the Faroe Islands, but never in person.  While most of their lifecycle is out to sea—and way far north of what a sane person would call a fun summer vacation!—a few rocky islands off the Maine coast, the southern reach of species’ distribution, host summer colonies where puffins mate and rear their young in burrows. 

Though Iceland accounts for more than 60% of the world’s Atlantic Puffin population and Newfoundland has the world’s largest single colony, this small summer window of mating season (mid-May through mid-August) means you can have a lobster roll, a beach hang, and see puffins all in the same day.  Take that, Faroe Islands.  So here are our suggestions for the best ways to see puffins in Maine.

Puffin Cruises to Eastern Egg Rock

Six miles out to sea in outer Muscongus Bay you’ll find Eastern Egg Rock.  Though tiny in stature (about a tenth of a square mile), Eastern Egg Rock is hugely important to the conservation efforts of coastal bird species.  Back in 1973, the Audubon Society and Maine’s Department of Island Fisheries and Wildlife set out on an ambitious project to reintroduce Puffins and Terns to the island. 

The birds had last been seen on the island in the 1880s when hunting for birds and their eggs essentially killed off the summer colony.  Scientists used a variety of methods to entice puffins; most notably, they played recordings of puffin calls and eradicated huge numbers of predatory seagulls. The efforts worked and the project became an international roadmap for reintroducing seabirds to delicate ecosystems.  

The restoration efforts have gone so swimmingly well that visitors can now responsibly observe the birds from Audubon-approved cruises to Eastern Egg Rock from both New Harbor and Boothbay Harbor .  

From the comfort of a boat, you’ll see puffins darting in and out of the water to feed, floating along in groups, and buzzing around in the air like brightly colored nerf footballs.  You may not get close enough for a zoomed-in Nat Geo-style photograph from the boat, but you’ll most certainly get some great group shots of birds and nonetheless have a stunning opportunity to watch and enjoy a unique species in the wild.  

The trip to Eastern Egg Rock has a lot more to offer than just puffins—you’ll pass a number of small rocky outcroppings charitably classified as islands where seals are often sunning themselves and napping on beds of seaweed as the waves crash over their bodies to keep themselves moist.

Sea birds of all kinds, too, will be visible on the trip to and from Boothbay or New Harbor with knowledgeable staff calling out species and information. The stunning and infrequently-visited Franklin Island Light will come into view, too: a photogenic navigational beacon on a small island and wildlife refuge.  We sure love all of Maine’s lighthouses , but there’s something special about the ones that are a little harder to see. 

Last but not least, there’s the Eastern Egg Rock “Hilton.” Researchers spend weeks at a time out on Eastern Egg Rock observing and cataloging data on Puffins during mating season; an odd-looking, low-lying building called the Hilton is their only communal space for living and eating during those scientific outings. A moody shot of the Eastern Egg Rock Hilton with seabirds flying in the background is a photographer’s dream. 

Cap’n Fish’s puffin cruises leave from downtown Boothbay Harbor, mid-May through mid-August.  Tours offer enough time for a leisurely on-board lunch (and an adult beverage, if you should so wish), some puffin watching, and ample daylight afterward for exploring the region at its summery best.

Cap’n Fish’s also offers daily lighthouse cruises, whale watching, sunset cruises, and regional tours. Boothbay Harbor has a number of iconic lighthouses and stunning shoreline properties worth exploring from the water as well as a burgeoning restaurant and nightlife scene. 

For the New Harbor cruise to Eastern Egg Rock, Hardy Boat offers daily runs late spring through mid-to-late summer. The Hardy Boat run is a ninety-minute trip, but they’re geographically closer to Eastern Egg Rock—so the amount of time watching puffins is about equal to the Boothbay option.

Plus, New Harbor is a great little village to spend time in, as well. 

There’s Shaw’s for noshing—a legendary fry shack and lobster pound with excellent food—as well as plenty of rental options for quaint coastal cottages.  It’s worth noting that Hardy Boat also offers daily ferry service to Monhegan: a lost-in-time island ten miles off the coast with a small yearly population, a thriving summer artists’ community, and a surprising number of options for lodging and food. 

Bold Coast Charter to Machias Seal Island

Cruises to Eastern Egg Rock are an easy, logistically-simple way to spend some quality hang time with the Atlantic Puffin.  But what if you what to get up and personal—like really, really close? To get that once-in-a-lifetime Nat Geo puffin photo, you’ll need to take a Bold Coast Charter trip to Machias Seal Island.

There you can get off the boat, onto the island, and into a bird blind with puffins mere feet away from you, all in a responsible way that won’t spook the birds while they tend to their burrows and offspring. It all sounds pretty dreamy, but it takes some serious planning and involves a longstanding border dispute between the United States and Canada.

“Wait , what!?” you’re likely asking yourself right now.  Yup, you read that right.  Machias Seal Island may host an enormous summer puffin colony complete with a research team, bird blinds, a lighthouse, and landing zones—but it’s also got a complicated back story and some tense political history. 

Ten miles out to sea at the entrance of the Bay of Fundy, the small rocky island covered in low scrub shouldn’t really be all too important.  Yet since the Treaty of Paris in 1763 that ended the French and Indian War, both Canada and the United States claim ownership over the island due to the inexact language in the treaty.  This wouldn’t matter all that much if the waters around the island weren’t so important to the lobstering industry. 

As the Gulf of Maine warms due to climate change, lobsters are migrating farther northeast for cooler temps and consistent food—all the way out to the pristine waters around Machias Seal Island.  The area is currently the most profitable haul along the Maine coast.  Due to differences between Canadian and US lobstering regulations (season, haul limits, gear, etc.), boats from both countries feel slighted at times. News reports of one country’s fleet fishing the others traps and violent altercations are an unfortunate mainstay of Maine public radio. 

To make matters worse, the commercial value of the lobstering industry around Machias Seal Island means neither country is willing to arbitrate in international court; whichever country loses the case will suffer huge economic impacts. It sure seems like a tense stalemate will remain indefinitely.  Don’t let the Canadian signs and the Canadian-run lighthouse fool you: the island is hotly contested.

Given the tense situation, it’s no wonder that one American and one Canadian boat each have permits to bring tourists on the island. Your one option on the US side of the border: Bold Coast Charter Company in Cutler, Maine.

Cutler Harbor, nestled into a quiet stretch of Downeast coastline, is worth a visit regardless. As you leave the calm waters of Cutler Harbor you’ll pass Little River Lighthouse with a bright green copper top on the light station and a bright red roof on the adjoining house. 

The calm waters end there, however—the ten-mile journey through open water to an island completely surrounded by unprotected ocean can and will get choppy.  In fact, Bold Coast Charter Co won’t even confirm departure until the evening before, and a landing on the island is by no means guaranteed. 

If you’ve got tickets and a reservation, make sure you have a day or two buffer for a rescheduled cruise due to rough seas.  Some avid birders will go through multiple rescheduled cruises to finally get out on the island.

If you’ve got luck on your side and get out to Machias Seal Island on a calm-enough day to board the island, you’ll be shuttled via skiff in small groups to an old concrete wharf covered in a few inches of slippery seaweed (have we conveyed yet how much work this whole thing is?!)

Once you’re safely on the island, some important rules kick in to help keep the birds feeling unbothered and content: you can only navigate your way around the island on designated, raised boardwalks to and from the bird blinds.  You’ll pass the lighthouse and the residence for the researchers, but once you’re in a bird blind you’re stuck there until your time on the island is up. 

After a few minutes in the blind, puffins will start appearing and you’ll be viewing them from just a few feet away.  With a decent zoom lens you’ll have amazing views of their bright beaks and adorable dance-like hopping from rock to rock. 

So what is the best way to view puffins in Maine? In my opinion, it’s a long drive to Cutler (five and a half hours from Boston), a ten-mile boat ride through rough seas, some decent luck for good weather, a sketchy landing on a slippery old wharf, and crouching in a small wooden box with three other people for hours. 

But if you ask just about anyone that’s done the trip, they’ll tell you the once-in-a-lifetime journey is beyond worth it.  

All that being said, getting tickets might itself be the toughest part.  As the only American tour boat with permission to land on the island, the demand is insanely high.  So set a calendar reminder, an alarm, check the website, and be awake and frosty for the ticket drop.  It’ll absolutely be worth it!

You can also visit 16-acre Petit Manan Island to hike, where puffins have been coming to nest since the 1970s, but if you’d like to increase your chance of seeing them there, you can book a Puffins and Seabirds Cruise through Robertson Sea Tours . Departing from Millbridge, Maine, their puffin cruise lasts about two and a half hours long and is one of the best ways to see the Petit Manan Lighthouse, the puffins’ favored place to nest on the island.

To learn more about Project Puffin and puffins in Maine, be sure to visit the Project Puffin Visitor Center in downtown Rockland, Maine. The National Audubon Society provides the narration for Hardy Boat Cruises and Cap’n Fish’s Cruises, as well.

Read these next:

• Where to Find the Best Whale Watching in Maine
• 4 Beautiful Maine Islands Worth Visiting
• 9 Breathtaking Maine State Parks
• Where to See Moose in Maine
• 11 Fun Maine Lighthouse Tours for All Ages
• Best Moose Tours in Vermont: Where to See Moose in Vermont

ALL TRIPS DEPART FROM 119 EDEN ST-THE ATLANTIC OCEANSIDE HOTEL- 5 MIN DRIVE FROM DOWNTOWN BAR HARBOR

Public Boat Cruises

Browse all public boat tours in Bar Harbor and activities available with Acadian Boat Tours. We look forward to seeing you on one of our Bar Harbor cruises. Book yours online today!

• Most popular!

Sightseeing & Nature Cruise

• Clock 1.5 – 2 hours

Take a two hour, fully-narrated nature cruise of Frenchman Bay and enjoy the breathtaking scenery of coastal Maine, Acadia National Park, and the Bar Harbor shoreline. ( Pet friendly!) Book online today! 

• Prettiest Trip of the Day!

Sunset Cruise

Join our captain and crew for one of the prettiest trips of the day on our Acadia sunset cruise! This seasonal sunset sail from Bar Harbor will allow you to spot seabirds and marine life with a lovely sunset filter. Book your tour online!

Puffins, Lighthouses, & Seabirds Cruise

• Clock 3.5 hours

Join us for an adventure into Frenchman Bay and the Gulf of Maine to see the most awesome iconic symbols of Maine: Puffins and Lighthouses! Book your boat cruise to see Petit Manan Lighthouse and more online today.

Lighthouse & National Park Tour

• Clock 3 hours and 15 minutes

Visit three unique island lighthouses and the historic Islesford life-saving station — with plenty of time at each for photographs. Book your Bar Harbor lighthouse tour online today!

Fjord, Lighthouse & Park Tour

Cruise the shores of Mount Desert Island towns, villages and Acadia National Park on our spectacular fall tour! Book your Acadia fjord cruise online today!

Fishing Trips

• Clock 3 hours , 4 hours

We offer three and four hour Bar Harbor fishing trips in Frenchman Bay. These are great family trips! Book your Bar Harbor fishing trip online to experience the variety of catches in Maine!

July 4th Fireworks Cruise

• Clock 3 hours

Get the best seat in the house for the fabulous fireworks display in Bar Harbor! This 4th of July cruise includes a condensed sightseeing and nature cruise, too. Book online today!

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Where to See Puffins on The Maine Coast

• Where to See Puffins on…

Because most seabirds only come to land to nest, the nesting season from May through July is the best time to see seabirds on Maine’s coast. Visitors are not permitted on most islands, but one exception is Machias Seal Island, off Cutler.

Seabird Nesting Webcams

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. Check out the puffin loafing ledge and the exterior view of the puffin burrow for other seabird activity.

Maine Tour Boats

There are many reputable tour boat operators on the Maine Coast, both large and small, that visit seabird nesting islands. Some have naturalists on board, some try to find whales and seals, some make it a point to pass by lighthouses. All are dependent on the variable weather of the Maine Coast! We encourage you to visit their websites and speak with the captains to find the right boat tour for you.

Tour Boat Operators

Down east area.

• Acadian Boat Tours , Bar Harbor 207-801-2300 acadianboattours.com
• Acadia Puffin Cruise , Winter Harbor 207-598-7900 acadiapuffincruise.com
• Bar Harbor Whale Watch Co., Bar Harbor 888-942-5374 barharborwhales.com
• Bold Coast Charter Co., Cutler 207-259-4484 boldcoast.com
• Robertson Sea Tours & Adventures, Milbridge 207-483-6110 robertsonseatours.com

Midcoast Area

• Breakwater Kayak, Rockland 207-596-6895 breakwaterkayak.com
• Cap’n Fish’s Whale Watch Cruises, Boothbay 800-636-3244 mainewhales.com
• Hardy Boat Cruises, New Harbor 800-278-3346 hardyboat.com
• Maine Kayak, New Harbor 866-624-6352 mainekayak.com
• Maine Windjammer Association, Rockland 800-807-9463 sailmainecoast.com
• Matinicus Excursions, Rockland 207-691-9030 matinicusexcursions.com
• Midcoast Kayak, Damariscotta midcoastkayak.com
• Monhegan Boat Line, Port Clyde 207-372-8848 monheganboat.com
• Morning in Maine , Rockland 207-691-7245 amorninginmaine.com
• Sail Muscongus, Bremen 207-380-5460 sailmuscongus.com
• Tidal Transit Kayak , Boothbay 207-633-7140 kayakboothbay.com
• The Mail Boat , Stonington 207-367-5193 isleauhaut.com

Bar Harbor business plans to relocate, cites cruise ship ordinance

BAR HARBOR, Maine (WABI) - The future is hazy for some Bar Harbor businesses as they worry about the effects of cruise ship passenger limitations.

One even plans to relocate out of the coastal town entirely, citing the cruise ship ordinance restricting the amount of passengers visiting the island.

West Street has been home to gift shop Penelope’s since 2016, after Houston natives Alison Barnes and her mother spent six years vacationing in Bar Harbor every summer.

”Obviously, we knew that this vote was happening with the cruise ship limitations, and it was something that we realized we might need a plan B,” explained Barnes. “Cruise ship tourism is about 40% of our business, we figure over the years. So, we know that if that limit stuck, then we may need to rethink staying in Bar Harbor which is really unfortunate because we were hoping that it would be a family business, something that would be passed down to me and so on, and we have had no plans of leaving Bar Harbor otherwise.”

Penelope’s will remain on West Street with a 20% off sale until their doors close on Nov. 11.

While nothing is set in stone, Barnes says Penelope’s will most likely move to Florida.

“We’re hoping to find a town where our customer base isn’t so heavily reliant on one form of tourism and can’t be restricted by town politics,” said Barnes.

While Penelope’s may be the first Bar Harbor business to choose to relocate due to the cruise ship ordinance, others are having to strategize how to still make money with less customers.

”We’re seeing the drop in sales already at lunch, pretty significant already,” commented Kevin Des Veaux, co-owner of West Street Cafe. “Restaurants make money by volume. If you take their volume away, the margins aren’t that great anymore in this industry. I wouldn’t say we would relocate out of Bar Harbor, but we may change our business model.”

In response to the decrease in tourism, Des Veaux went as far to say West Street Cafe may not offer lunch next year.

These changes are not only affecting business owners, but employees, too.

Deidre Swan has been a seasonal server at West Street Cafe since 1989, who worries about the employment opportunities in town for her children and co-workers, some of whom come from overseas to work every summer.

”We all need to work, you know? Bar Harbor is not a cheap place to live. And, you know, I’ve lived in Bar Harbor my whole adult life, raised my children here,” said Swan. “And it makes me really sad to think that maybe they may not be able to come back, just because there’s not the business to support them.”

In November, Bar Harbor residents will vote on repealing the current land use ordinance. If repealed, the cruise ship ordinance will be enforced by the town.

Both Barnes and Des Veaux express the desire to reach a compromise between Bar Harbor and the businesses that inhabit it.

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