WILDLIFE-WATCHING
DownEast Acadia offers numerous opportunities for wildlife viewing— from whale watching excursions, puffin tours, and birding trails, to coastal hatcheries and exploration of the intertidal zone. Public lands, wildlife refuges and land trusts provide ample opportunity to get out in nature and explore wildlife habitats.
WILDLIFE-WATCHING
Birders’ Delight
Bird life is everywhere in DownEast Acadia. Harlequin ducks make their way across harbors, while ospreys and bald eagles swoop overhead. Herons glide over estuaries and marshes in Great Wass Island Preserve. Located along the Atlantic Flyway, you’ ll find a myriad of birds along the Schoodic section of Acadia National Park.
Wander the trails at Ellsworth’ s Birdsacre Sanctuary where injured birds get a second chance. On the beach at Roque Bluffs State Park sandpipers, plovers, and on-shore seabirds skitter in the surf.
Wildlife Abounds
Watch closely as you drive along the region’ s roads as deer and moose like to graze at their edges,
For more about Wildlife Watching scan here.
especially along inland Route 9, known as The Airline.
Discover excellent habitat for bear, Canadian lynx, moose, bobcat, fox, and beaver in Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge and the Amherst Community Forest. But, please don’ t feed any wildlife, and give them space to go about their business.
Ocean Life
Take a nature cruise out of Bar Harbor, Winter Harbor, Milbridge, Stonington, Lubec or Eastport where harbor porpoise pop their heads above the surface and harbor seals sun themselves. A trip to the outer islands reveals minke and humpback whales and the iconic Atlantic puffin.
As the tide recedes, the intertidal zone reveals pools teeming with marine biodiversity. Schedule a free tour and explore the touch tank at Downeast Institute on Beals Island.
Freshwater Fish
Learn about local fish species at one of the region’ s hatcheries:
Craig Brook National Fish Hatchery, East Orland Green Lake National Fish Hatchery, Ellsworth Grand Lake Stream State Hatchery, Grand Lake Stream Downeast Salmon Federation East Machias
Visitor Resources
Cobscook Shores, Lubec Maine Land Trust Network Preserves, statewide Maine Birding Trail, statewide Moosehorn Wildlife Refuge, headquarters in Baring Petit Manan National Wildlife Refuge, Steuben Acadia National Park Tour de Wildlife, Bar Harbor Schoodic Bird Tours & Workshops, Winter Harbor
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