Machais Seal Island
Ten miles off the jagged Downeast coast, a colony of Atlantic Puffins spend two months each year on Machias Seal Island to hatch eggs and rear their young before returning to the open ocean. The small, rocky island with thin topsoil and low-lying vegetation creates the perfect environment for puffin borrows. The island is caught up in a longstanding territorial dispute between the US and Canada over lobstering access, and Bold Coast Charter Co leaving from Cutler Harbor has the only American permit to land on the island. Even on calm days, the unprotected island greets guests with tumultuous landings on its slippery, seaweed-strangled concrete wharf. The island has two year-round lighthouse keepers plus a quorum of researchers on rotating assignments to study puffins and other seabirds. Bird blinds—just short enough to nag at your back and neck from the crouching—allow observation and photos without bothering the puffins.
