Machias Seal Island, a Magnificent Trip, Finally.

Atlantic Puffin in Flight

The day we were going out to Machias Seal Island to photograph the puffins and the other bird and animal life around, started out very foggy and we had to leave at 7 AM because of the weather forecast for possible thundershowers in the afternoon.  We arrived at Bold Coast Charter Company in Cutler, Maine, where Capt. Andy got us aboard his boat, the Barbara Frost, and we set sail in the pea soup fog for Machias Seal island.  Capt. Andy pushes boat, so we can get there as soon as we could and while we were traveling, he lectured us on the safety requirements, plus history of and information about what we would see.

Canadian Lighthouse on Machias Seal Island

When we arrived at the island, the weather was bright and sunny, Capt. Andy loaded the first group into the skiff to take us from the Barbara Frost to the landing area on the island.  However, he was not able to land and so he returned to the boat and loaded everybody aboard.  People were very disappointed.  The plan now was to go to a nearby island and photograph the seals, then return to a smooth place on the ocean, anchor and then take small groups of people in the the skiff and close, so they could photograph the puffins and razorbill auks on the water and at the shoreline.

Gray Seal getting ready to launch into the water

Gray and Harbor Seals

Northern Gannet in Glide Mode

The first group went and as they approach near the landing place, the water had calmed down enough that Capt. Andy thought we could land.  He returned to the Barbara Frost, talk to us saying if we land,  we would have to be on the island for at least three hours and would we mind.  The reason everyone was excited is that the "normal" time in the blinds range from 1/2 - 1 hour.  Everybody said let's land.  So Capt. Andy called the people at the lighthouse on the island and then he returned to the island where people were landed in three trips.

Capt. Andy taking the first group to the Island

 Once on the island, the whole group was immediately taken up to a patio area, where the rules were explained.  The main thing is, once we were in a blind, we had to stay there.  If we leave the blind, we had to immediately go back to the patio and we would have to stay there and could not go back into the blinds. The reason for this  is to keep the disturbance of the birds to a minimum.  Because we were going to be on the island for at least three hours, the plan was to change blinds at the hour and a half mark.  We were divided off into groups and off we went to be placed in our blinds.  The reactions of people who had not been ever on the island was wonderful to see once they looked at the beautiful puffins and razorbills.

Atlantic Puffin swimming

Atlantic Puffin just coming out from its burrow

Atlantic Puffin with wing flap

"Listen to me I am talking to you!"

Flock of Razorbill Auks

 At the hour and a half mark, we changed blinds and shot again with our cameras.  These magnificent birds.

Finally, we had to leave and went down to the landing area, where again we were loaded into the boat and carried back out to the Barbara Frost.  While I was waiting to leave, I was able to photograph a number of the puffins flying as they came rocketing by.  You have to see them, to realize how fast they fly.  The puffins flying make the gulls flying look like turtles.

Atlantic Puffin flying with fish in its mouth

Razorbill Auk in flight

Arriving back into the Cutler harbor.  We were able to photograph the Little River Light, which was built in 1840, along with the boats in the harbor.

Little River Light Cutler

 Once on shore, everybody was extremely hungry, so we returned to Machias, and the entire group, went and ate a very late lunch/early supper.  Everybody was so worn out that instead of going for a sunset, they want to go back to the room to rest and download and look at the pictures from that amazing trip.

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Machais Seal Island - Maine

One of the highlights of the Brookline Bird Club trip to Down-East Maine is the voyage out to Machais Seal Island. The Machais Seal Island is famous for the breeding colonies of Atlantic Puffins, Razorbill Auks and Common Murres and is one of the very few places where visitors are allowed to land on the island and are able to get close to the birds.
First the history of Machais Seal Island, it is located in the Gulf of Maine approximately 10 miles southeast from Cutler Maine and its sovereignty is disputed both by Cantor and the United States since both claim ownership. This difficulty ranges back to the Revolutionary War and the Treaty of Paris, where they tried to establish the boundaries between United States and British North America.

Machais Seal Island Lighthouse (taken last year)

At present there is a Canadian lighthouse on the island which is maintained by the Canadian Coast Guard (the payment for the maintenance of the lighthouse is paid by the Canadian Foreign Service) and the Canadian Fish and Wildlife Service maintains a sanctuary.

Cutler harbor -low tide

On the boat leaving the harbor

At present there is only one boat operator in Maine that runs regular trips out to Machais: Capt. Andrew Patterson of the Bold Coast Charter Company in Cutler Maine (http://www.boldcoast.com/) runs the daily trips, weather and seas permitting. Landing on Machais Seal Island can only be made when the weather and sea conditions permit, a very breezy day or rolling seas can prevent landing.
Landing on the island has the passengers transferring from the tour vessel into a large outboard powered skiff which is navigated to a designated landing area on the rocky shoreline. Conditions are slippery, and a degree of physical mobility and surefootedness is required. Please note that landings on Machais Seal Island can be hazardous, and while every effort is made to insure safety, participation in such activity is at your own risk.
We left Cutler in the fog and on basically smooth seas and were able to land on the island. On the island we were segregated into groups of four and then we were taken out to the blinds, once we were placed into the blinds we had to stay until the people came to let us out, because if we left sooner we could not return. This is to keep the disturbances of the colony down to a minimum.. We were then able to observe and photograph all the birdlife around us. Normally, you are allowed up to an hour and a half in the blind, but our visit was shortened to only one hour because the seas were increasing in intensity and which could make it more hazardous for us trying to leave the island.

Razorbill Auk

Atlantic  Puffin

All three of the Alcids on the island were able to be viewed from the blinds and the sheer numbers of birds were mind-boggling. You had to concentrate on a particular bird so you wouldn't keep jumping from bird to bird, especially if you were photographing them. Because of the fog that kept coming and going it did make some of the photography harder . I was happy that I was able to capture birds in flight, and a puffin  carrying fish back to the nest.

Atlantic Puffin with Fish

Common Murre the one on the right is the "bridled" form

There are two forms of the common Murre on the island, the normal form and the "bridled" form which has a white ring around the eye extending back as a white line.

Here are additional photos from the Island

Common Eiders

Common Loon

On our return to Cutler we were able to see common eiders and a common loon.





A great morning was had by all.