My daughter & I took a road trip to Maine to see the Atlantic Puffins. We booked our trip to see the puffins on the Hardy Boat Cruises. The National Audubon Society provides a host for the cruise so you can learn the story about the almost extinction of the Atlantic Puffins & how they are now being saved.
The Hardy Boat Cruise is a must see when you visit New Harbor. Boats book up so plan in advance to obtain your tickets.
PUFFIN WATCH WITH NATIONAL AUDUBON
Eastern Egg Island Approaching From The Cruise...
The Audubon Tour Guide shared the remarkable story of how the Atlantic Puffins almost disappeared because of the desire for feathers in hats & how there was only 1 breeding pair prior to the project being established to save these cute little birds. The Hardy Boat Tours helps funds this project.
To help restore the Puffins, the Society needed to create a very social atmosphere on the island to attract the Puffins back. The Atlantic Puffins are very social birds. When Project Puffin began to bring Atlantic Puffins back to Eastern Egg Rock, the researchers thought the puffins might not stay if they returned to an island with no other puffins. To simulate puffins and make returning birds feel more at home, we used decoys of puffins. The Atlantic Puffin (formerly Common Puffin) lives in the North Atlantic. It is the smallest of the puffins and is readily separated from the similar Horned Puffin by the steel-blue triangle at the base of its beak
When booking on the Hardy Boat Cruise...
CHECK IN: Please find our ticketing booth on the dock and check-in to collect your tickets. You will need to present a parking validation (acquired when paying for your parking in the field) in order for us to release your tickets (peak season ONLY). All reservations will be held until 20 minutes prior to departure.
TRIP DURATION: 1 1/2 hours
WEATHER: Trips run rain or shine.
NARRATION: National Audubon Society and Project Puffin naturalists are aboard each trip during the Summer to narrate, help with bird identification and answer questions throughout the trip.
SIGHTINGS: With 188 nesting pairs of Puffins (almost 400 birds) on the island, we guarantee sightings. If we don't see Puffins, we'll give you a free trip to come back and try again.
BE PREPARED: Dress appropriately. We suggest dressing in layers. Remember the weather on the Maine coast is changeable and can feel quite cold even in the middle of Summer. Warm blankets are available.
GALLEY: Coffee, tea, healthy snacks and home baked goodies available.
To find discounts as you travel to Maine & other locations, scan the code below & enjoy.
Remember the unexpected can happen....
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