Boat Rides, Seabird Cruises
John Drury
P.O. Box 267
Vinalhaven, ME 04863
Phone: 596-1841 (Green's Island) May-October
Phone: 863-4962 (Vinalhaven) November, through April
E-Mail: mango1960@msn.com, checked infrequently during summer
Naturalist boat rides specializing in seabirds.
Come to Vinalhaven and go for a boat ride to see some of the adjacent islands and the wildlife there, these are some rare habitats and Vinalhaven has good access to them. I take folk out on a comfortable 34' wooden lobster boat "Fluke" that goes 9 knots, I can carry six passengers and two crew.
This is an opportunity to get out on the water and see a variety of seascapes and seabirds. The most popular ride is a three and a half hour tour out past Roberts' and Otter Islands to Seal Island National Wildlife Refuge. There, during the summer, one can see Great Cormorant, Razorbills, Puffins, Arctic and Common Terns, Murres, Laughing gulls, Double-crested Cormorants and Guillemots. There has been a Red-billed Tropic Bird seen regularly in the area for a few years. Out in the bay we often seen Gannets, Wilson's Petrels and some times Greater, Sooty and Manx Shearwaters and Parasitic Jaegars. Recently there has been a flood of Bald Eagles in the seabird consuming business specializing in Gulls, Eiders and Cormorants we usually see some of them on Robert's and or Otter Island. There are Grey Seals at Seal Isalnd, Harbor seals hauled out on Yellow Ledge, almost invariably Porpoise in the bay and occasionally Minke Whales.
During the last two summers I have also seen, a Black-browed Albatross, a Sabines gull, a 20' basking shark, several sunfish, tuna fish and a Thrasher Shark breaching three times, (that was really cool), also White-sided Dolphins, and Sei whales, Leaches Petrels one day.
Other trips include a ride around Vinalhaven, an approximately 3 hour tour.
Around Isle au Haut, 4 hours. I would include a chart of the bay but you can see better if you look for a satellite image of the area.
A shorter ride up the reach down Hurricane Sound and out to Brimstone about 2 hours,
I charge $80/hour.
I have been boating and conducting seabird population studies in the area for 30 years, and have been carrying passengers for 20 years. I transport researchers working for the Audubon Society and the Fish and Wildlife service to Seal Island and Matinicus Rock.
One generous rider from Indiana wrote, "My sixth trip on Fluke, each time is completely different and each time is a joy, what a wonder-filled place this is and I'm grateful for such a fun and knowledgeable guide"
Another wrote, "We are so happy we did this! We all love birding and learning more about wildlife and the islands. It was such a treat to see hundreds of Puffins, the Seals, Gannets, Jaegars, Cormorants and Eagles!! thank you so much! Truly wonderful"
Some sitings from last summer,
June 23 '011 Red-billed Tropic bird, Harlequin Ducks (2 male, seen 3 times last time June 21, Manx Shearwater, Great Cormorants, very dark morph Parasitic Jaegar (pale one too) Arctic tern, Murre, Razorbill, Puffins, Minke Whale, Grey seals, Porpoise,
June 26, Greater, Sooty and Manx shearwaters, SE wind blew them in, Murres
July 2 Tropic bird, Manx shearwater, Razorbill with chick,
July 7, Tropic bird, Peregrine taking tern see photo, Dowichers
July 23,24,25,26,28th Tropic bird at Seal Island,
During the week of July 23-29 I also saw, Jaegars, mostly Parasitic, one Pomarine, 7 Parasitic one day.
4 Sei Whales, July 28th, Manx, Greater and Sooty Shearwaters, Black tern, common Murre, Razorbill and Puffins, Arctic Terns, Gannets, Eagles, Great Cormorants.
Aug 16, The tropic bird was seen Aug 1,3,5, 13th,
Parasitic Jaegars, regularly, Manx and Greater shearwaters, Peregrine at Seal Island, Gannets, Arctic Terns and Puffins still around though the Razorbills have left. Great Cormorants being attacked by eagles at Little Roberts Island. Harrier, Semipalmated Plovers, Rudy Turnstones, lesser Yellowlegs,
Spring '012
April 23,
This is Lucy painting the waterline the boat is almost ready
May 1,
The boat is in the water, there is a lot to see out there, there will be a few a Harlequins around for a while yet. There will be Great Cormorants displaying for a while if the eagles haven't chased them all off yet, something to see before they become re-extirpated from the region.
May 9, I Have been out to Seal Island there were lots of Razorbills and Puffins out there no terns yet though they should be there any day, still a dozen Harlequin Ducks at Little Roberts', and about 250 purple sandpipers zugenruing around Aries ledge,
May 12, Red-Billed Tropic bird at Seal Island, This crazed bird has survived the winter and has beaten the terns back to Seal Island and Haley Walsh and I saw it Sail into its cavern this morning @11:00
May 12 2012 Seal Island
Some pictures taken from the boat during the last few years
Sabines Gull, July 7 2010, @1 mile NE No Man's land.
Razorbill
Black-browed Albatross, July 15 '09 just north of Snippershan shoal,
murre, seal island
Spring Great Cormorant
Immature Great Cormorant blessing young seal
Greater Shearwater, White sided Dolphin
Parasitic jaegar, common tern, and herring
Pair of Harlequin
adult eagle Double-crested Cormorant
Fulmar
Gannet
Wilsons petrel
Diamond Rock and Brimstone
