Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Smaller tour operators specialize in everything from harbor seal- and ea-
gle-watching to lobster-fishing demonstrations, and there are even glass-
bottomed boats where a diver wearing a television camera shows passen-
gers life along the sea bottom. Live sea creatures such as spiny urchins
and the mysterious sea cucumber are brought aboard for passengers to
examine and then carefully put back unharmed where they were found.
Feathered Friends
Puffins
While their image is everywhere, the sometimes comical-looking puffin
is actually difficult to see and found only on remote offshore ledges. Some
tour operators do offer special trips to see these frisky feathered friends.
Save the Puffin
Puffins represent one of Maine's finest wildlife restoration ef-
forts. The bird had been hunted to extinction during the 1800s to
feed the flames of fashion for featured hats. But researchers re-
cently captured young chicks in Eastern Canada and trans-
planted them to select offshore islands along Maine's coast in a
successful attempt to revive the population.
Loons
Most undeveloped lakes in Maine sport breeding populations of loons.
These ancient birds with their distinct black and white plumage and red
eyes, long ago lost their ability to take off or land on dry ground. Their
haunting cries echo down misty lakes at night as they call out to their
mates. One of the greatest thrills of wildlife watching in early summer is
to see a mother loon with young. The startled chicks will head straight for
mom and literally run right up on her back!
Marvel when you see them dive at their ability to “fly” long distances un-
derwater in search of small fish.
Ospreys
Ospreys, also called fish hawks, are fascinating to watch. They will circle
and hover over a lake or the sea, spot a fish, and dive at tremendous
