Page Updated: January 09, 2024
Lobster Boat Tour
Lobster - Gulf of Maine
Captain Dan and his wife Melissa offer a two-hour “Catch Your Dinner” tour off the coast of Maine on the Bottom Line - a fully insured Coast Guard Certified 46-foot WesMac.
A commercial fisherman for 30+ years and Maine native, Dan pilots passengers through a chain of small islands looking for seals, bald eagles, and - when in season - the Atlantic Puffin.
After reaching Petit Manan Lighthouse, the captain shows first hand the process of hauling lobster traps and encourages willing passengers experience banding the lobster’s claws, all-the-while touching on interesting facts about the species and the points of a legal catch.
Each paying guest takes home one lobster from the haul - Lunch on the Wharf in Corea will steam it for you!
A last minute venture for us, this lobster boat tour was icing on the cake of our Maine leg. We’re all about seeing what it means to be a true local in whatever part of the country we’re in. Don’t think anything’s more Mainer than lobster fishermen.
Atlantic Puffin season is mid-May through the end of July, so we saw no puffins on our tour. But we saw plenty Double-crested Cormorants, lots of seals and a few bald eagles.
One of the perks of the tour as a whole is the stop at Petit Manan Lighthouse. Since the light is closed to the public, the only way to see it is by boat. The stop makes a nice addition to the overall experience.
The tour hauls in a handful of lobster traps for passengers to get a glimpse of what the lobstering process entails. What’s not legal or desired is tossed back into the ocean before the traps are baited and re-set.
The passenger count on our tour was low - just us and a family of five, so we had plenty of room to be comfortable. Dan was great with the little ones who were interested in banding lobster claws.
As promised, at the end of the tour we were handed a bag with two fresh lobsters. Even luckier for us, that family of five were vegetarians and kindly gave is their haul.
Lunch on the Wharf was terrific and steamed all of our loot! We enjoyed a meal on the harbor with sides of chowder, beans, and melted butter.
This was a terrific day. Dan and Melissa were great and the staff at Lunch of the Wharf were equally so. Couldn’t have asked for a better experience. If you find yourself in Bar Harbor, Maine or Acadia National Park, this tour should be high on your list of “must dos!”
-b&b
Blackwoods Campground to Thunder Hole
Petit Manan Lighthouse
