If you have that nagging feeling you have already met Captain Peter Wilcox and First Mate Durlan Ingersol, they were part of Rick Mercer's "lobster fishing adventure" a few years back! The Machias (Match-EYE-us) Seal Island Tour gives visitors an unparalleled view of one of Grand Manan's most famous birds, the puffin. Sea Watch runs both Whale Watching and Puffins tours - the latter runs only for a limited period in June and July, and can only accommodate a limited number of people each day to avoid disturbing the puffins during the nesting season on their sanctuary island.

As part of the tour, you also get to see the south eastern side of the island from the water - extraordinary views of the Flock of Sheep geological features and Southern Head, as well as hundreds of seals on their own island on the way back - and you get to experience a long tour on the sea as well - it's a good 4 -5 hours to Machias and back (including your time on the island itself).

There are approximately to 5000 pairs of puffins, 1000 pairs of razorbill auks, and 500 pairs of common murres. Common and arctic terns may be seen as well (they used to nest here, but in recent years they have not). You are transferred from the "Day's Catch" on a small motor boat, and get to spend 45 minutes in a blind in the midst of the Puffins burrows.

The historic light house is also a feature of the tour, as is the informative talk given by the UNB researchers who live on the island in the summer months to study all the birds which nest there.

Whales-n-Sails provided an unforgettable experience. It was my first time on a sail boat, and thanks to the fact we had enough wind the day we went out, it was an inspiring few hours in wind and waves.

And did we see whales! Huge Right Whales, the more sleek Finback and Humpback Whales, and the smaller Minke - along with seals, porpoises and sea birds a-plenty. A calf suckling its mother clear as day, three Right whales along side the boat, blowing in sequence, whales breaching ... the list is endless. And we learned an enormous amount from both Laurie and Alan, who patiently answered everyone's questions.

I can't say much about my ability to photograph the sea part of the experience ... I was part of the large group who went "oooo" when the whales leapt out of the water, and was part of the "click,click,click"group, capturing the event somewhat after the whales submerged again. I'll be better prepared next time! Their web site has many photographs to see and videos to watch and Allan has provided Mananook the images below.

This was WAY better than the Nature Channel. Our first time out on the Elsie Menota, but certainly not our last.