Amazing!! We did the 3 1/2 hour tour and learned all about the history of the islands, the lobster…read morefishing business, and the local wildlife from our guide Skye. We saw 2 porpoises, harbor seals, and of course puffins (along with many others birds). If you look over the boat, you may see Lion's mane jellyfish (I counted 17 in total!). We also were lucky enough to see a juvenile Bald eagle :) highly recommend!

We took the puffin tour: Nice service and crew- gave me ginger chewable when I was sea sick,…read morechecked in frequently to make sure everyone on the boat was doing okay. We saw puffins, seals, and a few porpoises. Pictures do not do it justice Wish the speaker down low were higher- hard to hear while out boating. It is chilly too so make sure to wear pants and a jacket! So fun

Kids will enjoy it, but there's really nothing you see here (in a tour that currently costs $250…read morefor a family of 4) that you can't see in the touch tanks at the Dorr Museum at the College of the Atlantic, which has a $5 per person suggested donation. And if you're an animal lover you may be bothered by the manhandling of the sea creatures, especially the fragile sea cucumbers. Guests are encouraged to kiss them and at one point Diver Ed puts one in his mouth. Yes, all the critters are dumped back in the ocean at the end of the trip but whether they survived the encounter seems very questionable to me.

This was a unique, hilarious, educational experience that my 6 & 8 year olds LOVED. Did I get a…read morelobster placed on my head? Yes, yes I did. Did Diver Ed put a sea cucumber's butt in his mouth? Yes, yes he did. Book this experience for your kids and you won't regret it!!

If you are looking for a mellow boat ride around the harbor, this is a nice cruise to take. It…read moresays that it's a 2 hour cruise but, in total, to include getting on and off the boat, we were only out for about an hour and a half. We went at sunset and it's amazingly beautiful. The staff is obviously a working staff and they get the passengers involved by having us help with lifting the sails (if you'd like to volunteer). That part was fun and it's a lot of arm work. Very safe journey. Do bring a jacket with you because it does get cold on the water.

Over all a great time, hour and a half sunset cruise. The Skipper and crew weee super nice and…read morefriendly. One caution, check the weather forecast before you go and dress in layers. On our trip it started to rain and we got wet, not soaked but just enough to make it uncomfortable. The temperature does drop about 10-15 degrees once you leave the dock. The standing temperature was 68 degrees when we left the dock, with the sun setting, rain and lower temperatures of the bay it got into the mid 50's on the water. So dress accordingly.

For my birthday, we joined a whale watching tour in the Gulf of Maine.  We honestly weren't sure…read morewhat to expect but were blown away by getting to see 3 different types of whales (Humpback, Minke, Finback), with multiples of each type and also two blue sharks. The people that led our tour were knowledgeable and friendly and I also appreciated they had food and drinks onboard for sale (and single serve dramamine). We had a hot dog, their ocean gin drink, and a blueberry harbor ale and couldn't have had a better time. Make sure to get there early as the most in demand seats on top of the boat were full after they let the people waiting in line early on the boat. I'd say we got there 30 minutes earlier than needed and got some of the best seats but there weren't many left. There is a shop with good coffee close so you can have one person hold your spot in line while others do that. Dress warmer than you think you need: we ended up wearing long sleeve shirts and pants with jackets and beanies and it wasn't a rough or especially cold day at sea and closer to 70 degrees on land. .

This whale watching excursion was disappointing. The boat was far too large, making it difficult…read morefor many passengers to get a good view of the whales. Additionally, it took nearly two hours to reach the whale viewing area. The biggest issue was the speed of the boat in rough waters. On the way out, the captain traveled much too fast, causing severe motion sickness for a large portion of the passengers. I would estimate that about 75% of the people onboard became sick. Once we reached the whale area and the boat slowed down, most people began to feel better. Unfortunately, the return trip was just as bad. The boat again traveled at a high speed through rough seas, causing many passengers to become sick for a second time. While seeing the whales was enjoyable, the overall experience was overshadowed by the uncomfortable and unpleasant boat ride.

Jason took us on a fantastic tour of area lighthouses. He was flexible to choose the ones that we…read morewere hoping to see and, even though the fog was thick at times, we saw everything we wanted. It was also very interesting to hear so much about what being an 8th generation Swan's Island resident means. We hope to go again to visit other lighthouses. Highly recommended!

Swan's Island Charters is a must do! Our family spent the day with Captain Jason. So much history…read moreand knowledge of the area. The lobster boat was the end to a perfect tour.