June 17th, 2011

Another sunny, clear day in Bar Harbor made for a nice whale watch trip. What is great about whale watching off the coast of Mount Desert Island is the opportunity to enjoy such beautiful scenery. Being on the water allows everyone to see much of Acadia National Park and a few lighthouses too!

Egg Rock and Egg Rock Lighthouse with Mount Desert Island in the background

The bird life at Petit Manan remains very active as numerous North Atlantic puffins were sighted. Not only is this island home to nesting puffins, but razorbills and black guillemot as well as arctic, common, and rosette terns. It is also where we see the second tallest lighthouse in the state of Maine.

North Atlantic Puffin flying above the water at Petit Manan Island

While searching offshore the boat was able to find a finback whale, the largest common whale species to the Gulf of Maine. This whale certainly had feeding on the agenda as it took numerous dives. This species is nicknamed the "greyhounds of the sea" due to their ability to swim at very fast speeds, at times traveling 25-30 miles per hour. But everyone had the chance to get a good glimpse at this large cetacean!

Finback whale

To see more pictures from today's trip become a fan of Bar Harbor Whale Watch Company on Facebook!

Photos: Walter Churchill