MAINE PHOTO TOUR : Puffins, Seals, Gannets, Razobills, Seascapes, and a Lighthouse

• Machias Seal Island has the largest Puffin Colony on the Maine Coast. Migratory seabirds, including Atlantic puffins, Razorbills, Common murres, Gannets, and Arctic terns, use this island for stopovers and breeding. Machias Seal Island is the only place accessible from the USA where the public can photograph Atlantic puffins from land, and Bold Coast Charter Co. is the only USA tour authorized to make landings on the island. Long lenses are NOT required. We have tickets for a boat ride (~45-minute ride) to see and photograph puffins, razorbills, seals, a lighthouse, etc. As long as the weather cooperates, we will also have the opportunity to make a landing on the island and photograph puffins and razorbills up close from a blind. The island has many birds! Some of the puffins and razorbills are just a few feet away. Note that this is the only location in the United States where we can set foot on an island inhabited by puffins; this is very different from other boat tours that are unable to do so. However, please keep in mind that this trip and the landing are subject to weather conditions.

• We will have photographic opportunities on the way to and from the island.

• Includes:

  • ONE Boat Rides & island landing & puffin photography from the blinds (weather permitting) on Sunday July 19 (2026)

Join us for an unforgettable photography adventure along the Bold Coast of Maine. Prepare to be enchanted by adorable puffins, those football-shaped wonders with their colorful, mini-toucan beaks. Our journey takes us to Machias Seal Island, home to the largest puffin colony on the Maine Coast. Here, amidst breathtaking natural scenery, migratory seabirds, including Atlantic puffins, Razorbills, Common murres, and Arctic terns, grace us with their presence, offering ample opportunities for captivating photographs.

Feel the thrill as you capture these magnificent creatures in their natural habitat, against the backdrop of the rugged Maine coastline.

If you want to photograph puffins, then this is a trip for you. You will hear the pitter-patter of cute little puffin feet right above you! No super-long lens is needed, as you will photograph them with an average zoom lens (12-100mm, 70-200mm, 40-150 mm, 50-200 mm, 100-400 mm, 100-500 mm, etc.). Don’t miss this opportunity to embark on a photography workshop like no other, where every moment promises to be a masterpiece in the making. Join us on the Bold Coast of Maine and let your creativity soar!

Things to bring:

• Enthusiasm (any skill level welcome)

• Camera (any model)

• Lots of memory cards

• ALL of your camera batteries

• Snacks and water

• Layers for the boat ride

• Optional

  • Binoculars or a longer lens for the boat ride

• Leave your bag with a bigger lens, (if you bring one for the boatride), and your clothing layers and your snack

• Pack for a change of weather as it is Maine (Raincoat, hat, pants, shoes, sunscreen, etc., gloves, hat, hot hands in case we do night photography, bring a Windbreaker and pullover to keep warm on the boat ride).

Brief Itinerary

• Depart from Cutler Harbor ~7 am for landing on and photography in blinds on Machias Seal Island (weather permitting).

• Optional: phone call or Zoom or in-person bird photo tips the day prior to the boat ride)

• Optional, join us for dinner the night before or a meal when we return from the boat (meals not included)

  • Transportation, meals, refuge/preserve fees (if applicable), nor incidentals are not included.

  • We will have fun!

  • Dress in layers

The public can photograph Atlantic puffins from land, but Bold Coast Charter Co. is the only USA tour authorized to make landings on the island. Long lenses are NOT required. We have tickets for a boat ride to see and photograph puffins, razorbills, seals, a lighthouse, etc. As long as the weather cooperates, we will also have the opportunity to make a landing on the island and photograph puffins and razorbills up close from a blind. The island has many birds! Some of the puffins and razorbills are just a few feet away. Note that this is the only location in the United States where we can step foot on an island inhabited by puffins, this is very different from other boat tours that are unable to do so. However, please keep in mind that this trip and the landing is subject to weather conditions. We will have photographic opportunities on the way to and from the island, we will spend ~ 2hrs on the island (about 1 hour in the blind). Approximate numbers of nesting seabird species are as follows: 5000 Atlantic puffins, 4000 Razorbills, 800 Common murres, 800 Arctic terns, 200 Common Eiders. In addition to the puffins and other nesting migratory seabird species, the tour may provide an opportunity to view seals, usually both Common seals and Grey seals, Bald eagles, porpoises, dolphins, and pelagic seabird species.

Activity Level Rating: 2 (Note: 1 is easy and 5 is difficult)

Participants should be in good health and self-sufficient enough to carry their own gear. Participants should also be able to climb in and out of boats in sometimes slippery conditions carrying photo gear. They should also be comfortable with boats and changing sea conditions. The trip to photograph Atlantic Puffins will involve traveling 10 miles out into the Gulf of Maine aboard a 40-foot boat. It is about a 45-minute ride each way.

Getting onto the island from the boat can be an adventure all in itself, from Bold Coast Charter Co: Island landings involve participants transferring from the tour vessel into a large outboard-powered skiff which is navigated to a designated landing area on the rocky shoreline. Depending on the sea conditions, there is a possibility of wet feet, although most days we manage to keep everyone completely dry. While assistance is provided at every stage of the landing, conditions are slippery, and a degree of physical mobility and surefootedness is required.

Travel Insurance

As with all tours, we recommend purchasing Travel Insurance to help cover your investment, for covered reasons.

We understand that life happens and that sometimes unforeseen circumstances may necessitate the need to cancel or reschedule. Unfortunately, we can not offer refunds unless we are able to fill your spot with someone on the waiting list. We can, however, recommend travel insurance to cover your costs if you have to cancel. There are many travel insurance companies available, but one we have had experience with is Travel Guard https://www.travelguard.com, they offer different insurance options, we recommend looking into the choices.

Please note that this and all classes/workshops have no refunds. By signing up for our classes/tours/workshops, you agree to our terms and conditions, see http://www.lisaandtomphotography.com/p/workshops.html