BANGOR DAILY NEWS • August 18, 2022
Get on a boat. There’s another world of birding out there. I’ve traveled offshore four times in the past three weeks on boats I would recommend. How many Mainers have seen a real puffin? There are five puffin islands along the Maine coast. Four of them get regular visits by at least nine tour boats. One of my favorites, Acadia Puffin Cruise, used to dock in Winter Harbor, which made it a 45-minute ride to reach the puffins on Petit Manan Island. The cruise now departs from a private pier in Steuben, where it’s just a 25-minute jump to the island. Every Sunday from late May until early August, the Isle au Haut Ferry makes a special trip out of Stonington to visit Seal Island. Three boats visit the southernmost puffin colony, Eastern Egg Rock near New Harbor. Another favorite is the Bar Harbor Whale Watch. Nearly everybody on board was there to see whales. I was there to see birds. ~ Bob Duchesne