Maine Puffin Tours
Maine Birding Vacations – Puffin & Seabird Cruises
Puffin Tours or Puffin viewing cruises leave from New Harbor, Port Clyde, Boothbay Harbor, Bremen, Cutler, Lubec, Jonesport, and Bar Harbor, Maine. Cruises operate from June to early August, but if you’re hoping to see puffin chicks hatch, plan on making the trip in late June to early July. While puffins are the main attraction on a puffin cruise, passengers often get to see many other types of birds, including black guillemots, cormorants, terns, petrels, ospreys, eiders, razorbill auks, shearwaters, phalaropes, and jaegers, and even whales, seals and dolphins.
Many puffin trips also take you past scenic lighthouses that you may not be able to see from land. Be flexible when you are making your puffin-viewing plans, since inclement weather may prevent the cruise boats from leaving on a particular day. At just 10 inches tall Atlantic puffins are smaller than many people expect, so bring binoculars and a camera with a zoom lens to get the most out of your puffin cruise. Any time you go out on the ocean, you should dress warmly and wear sunscreen.
Puffins are not in danger of extinction. In fact, there are an estimated 12 to 16 million puffins in the world. Atlantic puffins can be found near the coast of eastern Canada, Iceland, Greenland, and northern Europe and Russia. The Gulf of Maine is at the southernmost extreme of their range, and less than 1 percent of the world’s puffins nest here. If you had the impression that puffins are endangered, it may be because the puffin colonies in Maine — the only ones in the United States — were almost wiped out.
Several hundred pairs of puffins used to nest here each year, but human activities had threatened the puffins. People killed the birds for food, for their eggs, or for their feathers, which were used to decorate ladies hats. Additionally, commercial fishing had depleted the puffins’ food supply, and the introduction of rats and other land predators on some islands seriously disrupted the puffins’ nesting activities. Eventually, there were only a few isolated pairs of puffins in the entire state. Project Puffin, a collaboration between the National Audubon Society and the Canadian Wildlife Service, began re-introducing puffins on Eastern Egg Rock in Muscongus Bay in 1973.
Scientists involved with Project Puffin transferred hundreds of chicks from Newfoundland over a period of many years, and the campaign has been successful; puffins are once again nesting on Eastern Egg Rock.
Thanks to the efforts of puffin-friendly lighthouse keepers, there are still thriving natural puffin colonies on Matinicus Rock in Penobscot Bay and on Machias Seal Island on the border between Maine and New Brunswick, Canada. Machias Seal Island has by far the largest population of puffins each summer, and it is the only island where puffin cruise boats are allowed to land (weather permitting).
PUFFIN GIFTS
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Puffin | $14.69 | On Sale |
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Wild Republic Puffin Plush, Stuffed Animal, Plush Toy, Sea Animals, Gifts for Kids, Sea Critters 8 inches | $9.99 | On Sale |
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CHALA Bird Collection Women's Decorative Key Fob/Coin Purse Accessory - Puffin | $18.50 | On Sale |
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BDPWSS Puffins Gifts Puffin Bird Lover Gift Always Be Yourself Unless You Can Be A Puffin Then Always Be A Puffin Makeup Bag (Can be Puffin) | $13.89 | On Sale |
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Puffins: Life on the Atlantic Edge | $34.23 | On Sale |
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Aurora® Realistic Miyoni® Puffin Stuffed Animal - Lifelike Detail - Cherished Companionship - Black 10.5 Inches | $19.99 | On Sale |
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Puffin Official Sleepshirt T-Shirt | $16.95 | On Sale |
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Puffin - The Aloha Shirt - Insulated 12 oz Can Cooler I Beer Bottle & Soda Can Insulator, Keep Drinks and Beverages Cold - Weekend Vibes | $12.99 | On Sale |
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COLLECTA Puffin | $10.99 | On Sale |
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G2TUP Puffin Bird Lover Gift Who Loves Puffins Birds Makeup Bag Puffin Cosmetic Bag Seabird Animal Lover Gift Birdwatching Birdwatcher Travel Bag with Zipper (Puffins White Bag) | $14.66 | On Sale |
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Puffins Are Awesome. I'm Awesome Therefore I'm a Puffin T-Shirt | $19.99 | On Sale |
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Best Puffin Design For Men Women Seabird Puffin Bird Lover T-Shirt | $21.99 | On Sale |
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Womens Two Cute puffins from Iceland V-Neck T-Shirt | $21.99 | On Sale |
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Puffin Awesome Funny Sea Bird Puffins T-Shirt | $19.99 | On Sale |
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Smileteesbirdsa Funny Puffin Birds on Rocks Art T-Shirt | $19.99 | On Sale |
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CoTa Global Puffin Snow Globe - Sparkly Water Globe Figurine with Sparkling Glitter, Collectible Novelty Ornament for Home Decor, for Birthdays, Christmas, and Valentine's Day - 65mm | $15.99 | On Sale |
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Wild Republic Puffin Plush Stuffed Animal, Plush Toy, Gifts for Kids, Cuddlekins, 11.5 Inches | $25.16 | On Sale |
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BDPWSS Puffins Gift Puffin Seabird Lover Gift Ornithology Birding Bird Watching Gift I Just Really Like Puffins Tote Bag (Just Like Puffins TG) | $16.89 | On Sale |
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Vintage Puffin Bird Retro Sunset Puffin T-Shirt | $19.99 | On Sale |
| Photo | Title | Price | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|
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Wild Republic Puffin Plush, Stuffed Animal, Plush Toy, Sea Animals, Gifts for Kids, Sea Critters 8 inches | $9.99 | On Sale |
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G2TUP Puffin Bird Lover Gift Who Loves Puffins Birds Makeup Bag Puffin Cosmetic Bag Seabird Animal Lover Gift Birdwatching Birdwatcher Travel Bag with Zipper (Puffins White Bag) | $14.66 | On Sale |
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Puffins: Life on the Atlantic Edge | $34.23 | On Sale |
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Lazy One Animal Pajama Pants for Men, Men's Separate Bottoms, Lounge Pants, Bird (Stud Puffin PJ Pant, Large) | On Sale | |
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Cape Shore Painted Ceramic Puffin Hanging Ornament | $12.67 | On Sale |
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All Or Puffin Funny Puffins T-Shirt | $19.99 | On Sale |
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Vintage Puffin Bird Retro Sunset Puffin T-Shirt | $19.99 | On Sale |
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Puffin Bird Adjustable Baseball Cap Trucker Hats for Men and Women, Ash, One Size | On Sale | |
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PUFFIN ROCK Oona & Baba Plush 2 Character Set | Oona Approximately 32cm | Baba Approximately 20 cm | $29.99 | On Sale |
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Aurora® Realistic Miyoni® Puffin Stuffed Animal - Lifelike Detail - Cherished Companionship - Black 10.5 Inches | $19.99 | On Sale |
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AliceHitMood - Puffin Bird Mug, Bird Mug, I'm Puffin Awesome Mug, Birdwatching Mug, Birdwatcher Gift, Bird Watching Mug, Funny Bird Watcher Mug, 11oz Ceramic Coffee Mug/Cup | On Sale | |
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Puffin In The Pocket Seabird Iceland Pocket Puffin T-Shirt | $19.99 | On Sale |
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Puffin Lover Always Be Yourself Unless You Can Be A Puffin T-Shirt | $19.99 | On Sale |
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Decorative Hand Painted Stained Glass Window Sun Catcher/Roundel in a Puffins Design. | $44.00 | On Sale |
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Lazy One Funny Animal Boxer Briefs for Men, Underwear for Men, Stud Muffin, Bird(Stud Puffin, X-Large) | On Sale | |
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3dRose LLC cst_81945_1 Soft Coasters, "Atlantic Puffin, Latrabjerg Peninsula, Iceland-Ralph H Bendjebar", Set of 4 | $11.99 | On Sale |
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Puffin Bird Men Women Boys Or Girls T-Shirt | $19.99 | On Sale |
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Funny Stud Muffin Vintage Retro Style Stud Puffin T-Shirt | $19.99 | On Sale |
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Two Cute puffins from Iceland Zip Hoodie | $33.99 | On Sale |
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Puffin Seabird Retro Vintage T-Shirt | $14.95 | On Sale |
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