Whale Watching Scenic Boat Tours

Whale watching excursions and boat tours are a fitting way to explore Maine’s rich coastal scenery and natural gifts sure to take your breath away.

You’ll spy tiny seaside towns and hilltop villages, quiet coves and inlets, sandy beaches and remote islands, and native birds and sea life.

Sign up for one of the numerous whale watching excursions in harbor front towns and marinas. These sea-faring vessels motor into ocean waters to get you up close and personal to massive species such as humpback and finback. Picture sitting in a comfy vessel or high-speed catamaran, waiting and watching, then being wowed when a mammoth whale jumps out of the depths, spins and drops back into the seas. Knowledgeable captains and crews narrate, educate and answer questions on whales and marine life.

Seasonal and year-round ferry lines and boat companies specialize in an assortment of tours up and down the coast. For a romantic evening of star gazing and dancing, venture on a sunset cruise that features a local band. A fall foliage tour is perfect for seeing the kaleidoscope of colors dotting over 3,000 miles of the mainland’s coast. Board a ferry that takes you past rugged coastlines, through bustling working harbors and to islands both near and far.

Lighthouse boat tours are plentiful. There are 65 beacons across Maine’s coast and islands and history buffs will find these interesting. A lobster tour promises to be memorable-you’ll learn about Maine’s lobstering industry, how the crustaceans are caught and watch as crews unload the traps at port. Ask where the fresh haul is heading so you can follow and enjoy a succulent lobster dinner.

Crews and naturalists on nature cruises enlighten on wildlife and point out seals, porpoises, osprey, and puffins. If you’re into salt water fishing, take a day charter so you can cast a line. If you’d like to raise the sails and move with the winds, there are tours and private charters to enthrall. Windjammer outings are available for days to a week — fantastic for soaking in the coast of Maine.

Camden Harbor Cruises & Fishing Tours Public Landing, Camden (207)236-6672 camdenharborcruises.com

Downeast Windjammers Bar Harbor/Acadia (207)546-2927 downeastwindjammer.com

Katahdin Cruises Greenville (207)695-2716 katahdincruises.com Schooner Mary Day Atlantic Ave., Camden (800)992-2218 maryday.com

Schooner Olad & Cutter Owl 1 Bayview Landing, Camden (207)236-2323 maineschooners.com

MARGARET TODD

LOBSTERING & LIGHTHOUSE CRUISES

DEPARTING CAMDEN ABOARD M/V LIVELY LADY & M/V PERIWINKLE CamdenHarborCruises.com