Bar Harbor Whale Watch Company

Bar Harbor Whale Watch Company Maine's largest boating tour company offering variety of experiences on the waters of Acadia! Cruises are professionally narrated.
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Come see the largest animals on earth and other amazing marine life, coastal scenery and Acadia National Park! We are the largest boating tour company in Maine and offer lighthouse and national park, lobster fishing and seal watching, puffin and seabird tours; and Frenchman Bay Nature Cruises. Our boats are large, comfortable, and stable jet-powered catamarans. Sailing location and gift shop are located at 1 West Street, next to the Bar Harbor town pier. You can book your ocean adventure online by clicking Book Now!

09/10/2026

Short-beaked common dolphins! We had a few pods on our whale watch September 9th!

Though common is in the name, we don’t see them very often, so a special sighting!

Dolphins approached the vessel unprovoked. Bar Harbor Whale Watch is a Whale SENSE operation and following regional whale watching guidelines.

🐬

09/03/2026

Let’s spend a calming, meditative moment with two humpbacks-Touchdown and Palmer-Crary.

These two logging whales surfaced next to us, slowly swimming, taking a brief catnap. It was a tranquil evening offshore on September 2nd.

Vessel was operating in compliance with regional whale watching guidelines. Whales surfaced close to the boat and vessel remained safe distance from whales. Bar Harbor Whale Watch Company is Whale SENSE certified.

Goodbye August! It was another amazing month of incredible wildlife sightings!We still have plenty of stellar whale watc...
08/31/2026

Goodbye August! It was another amazing month of incredible wildlife sightings!

We still have plenty of stellar whale watching, nature cruising, lobster fishing, and lighthouse viewing left! The -BER months can be just as phenomenal!

See you soon! 🐋🦞🍂

Photos: Naturalist Julie & Captain Larry

08/30/2026

Warning: The video contains footage that might be sensitive for some viewers.

While Captain Tate and Naturalist Ellie were observing the seals out on Egg Rock during a Lobster Fishing and Seal Watching cruise, they noticed a large disturbance in the water, which turned out to be a great white shark preying on a seal!

While this predator-prey interaction may seem intense, it is a unique and natural part of what makes a healthy ecosystem in the Gulf of Maine.

Great white sharks have been rebounding in Maine since the 1990’s as a result of prohibiting fishing practices. Harbor and gray seal populations have also grown significantly since protections under the Marine Mammal Protection Act were put in place in the early 1970s. Sub-adult and adult sharks tend to feed on marine mammals, while juveniles feed on fish such as pogies, striped bass, and mackerel.

Learn more about white sharks off the coast of Maine here: https://www.islandinstitute.org/working-waterfront/why-white-sharks-are-showing-up-more-in-maine/

Video credit: Ellie Crane, Bar Harbor Whale Watch Naturalist
August 29th, 2026

WOW, JUST WOW! This just in from the 2:30 whale watch on August 29th! An incredible capture by Jared Smelter of a breach...
08/29/2026

WOW, JUST WOW! This just in from the 2:30 whale watch on August 29th! An incredible capture by Jared Smelter of a breaching minke whale!

Reported to have breached at least a dozen times, it is a rare behavior to witness with any whale species, but especially minke whales!

This season continues to bring many surprises and rare encounters with unique wildlife!

Thank you, Jared Smelter!

Bar Harbor Whale Watch Company is Whale SENSE certified and follows regional whale watching guidelines. Photo captured with a zoom lens.

Address

1 West Street
Bar Harbor, ME
04609

Opening Hours

Monday 8:30am - 6:30pm
Tuesday 8:30am - 6:30pm
Wednesday 6:30am - 6:30pm
Thursday 8:30am - 6:30pm
Friday 8:30am - 6:30pm
Saturday 8:30am - 6:30pm
Sunday 8:30am - 6:30pm

Telephone

+12072882386

Website

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