Offshore Bird and Whale Cruises
Arguably the most interesting birding in our area is provided by the Bar Harbor Whale Watch Co (BHWW) which offers trips to Petit Manan Island and whale watching in (usually) offshore waters. Both options are not currently available in a single cruise.
Petit Manan Island (Puffin and Lighthouse Cruise)
Between early May and early August, Petit Manan Island hosts a seabird colony that includes among others an estimated 500 Arctic Terns, 100 Atlantic Puffins, 50 Razorbills, 50 Common Murres and 300 Black Guillemots. There Leach’s Storm Petrel too but they come and go at night and will not be seen on this BHWW cruise.
Things To Remember
Reservations are necessary. Visit the BHWW website (link above) for price. Currently all trips depart at 9:30 am. If there are multiple departures, choose the earliest as birds are more active early. There will be a naturalist on board. He/she will know the commoner birds. Note that you will not land in the Island but pause a reasonable distance offshore so as not to disturb breeding birds. All the commoner species will at some point fly very close to the vessel. Photographers with long focal length lens with fast auto-focus will have a chance at good flight shots.
Board as early as you can and secure a seat/standing room at the bow of the boat, the only place where you'll have a 180 degree view and a sturdy railing for holding on. Underway you'll be pounded by the wind as the catamarans can travel at 20+ knots. Regardless of time of year, it will feel cold. Dress accordingly. You will need to show identification (Passport or Driver’s License) as you board. The vessel is a stable catamaran with twin hulls which handle swells much more smoothly that single hulled vessels. There is a lot of inside seating and well as on an open upper deck and standing room along both sides and at the stern. There's always a lee side. Many mid summer days are fairly calm but there may be rough days when the bow off limits. The vessel has rest rooms and a snack bar.
Parking is always a summer problem near the Bar Harbor town dock. Give yourself plenty of time.
Fog even thick fog is always possible. If you can schedule your trip on a clear day, do it. If not, you will still likely see all the commoner birds given that fog ebbs and flows and the birds routinely come close to the boat. However if you can’t see the open water or the island, the experience isn’t the same. Rain doesn't bother the birds unless it's a fierce downpour, but it's a major nuisance for birders. If you can schedule your trip on a dry day, do it.
Puffins and Razorbills begin to depart Petit Manan early-mid Aug, and the cruises end mid-August.
Offshore (Whale Watch)
The general comment in the Petit Manan cruise discussion, above, also apply to the Whale Watch cruises.
Whale Watch trips run from mid May-mid Oct. Up to late June (check with BHWW for the exact dates/and times), there is one trip departing at 1 pm. After late Jun and until early Sept, there are multiple trips, 8:30 am and 2 pm in all cases, and for much of the time, a third trip at 1 pm. If you can, book the early trip as birds are moving around more in the morning, and it's often less windy. These cruises normally take five to five and one-half hours.
Good visibility is essential for offshore birding. Unless you have zero flexibility, do not go offshore on a foggy day. Move your booking to an alternate date. Make sure this is possible when you make your initial booking. If you have zero flexibility, you might give it a try. Fog is infrequently ‘pea soup’ thick all day and in all places. There are often periods with some visibility…and some birds. Avoid days with heavy rain as well. Binoculars and cameras are so hard to use with wet lenses.
Important: These are whale watching trips and go where the whales are. Birds are an after thought. The ship is in touch with fisherman about their whale sightings so plans can change on a moment’s notice. Mostly whales are offshore in areas good for open ocean birds but occasionally there’s a whale group closer to land and that’s where the cruise will go. That’s good for whale watchers - less travel time and more time with whales - but bad for birders as one needs to get 15 miles or more south of Bar Harbor to see true pelagics. Sometimes these closer-in whale grounds remain in place for multiple days and BHWW knows that’s where they’re going. It’s always worth asking.