NATURE NOTES FROM ACADIA

THE NATURALIST'S SEA CRUISE IN FRENCHMAN'S BAY

Twice a week, during the months of July and August, the Naturalist's Sea Cruise, a popular event on the Acadia National Park Nature-Guide Program, left the wharf at Bar Harbor on a two-hour cruise around the nearby islands in Frenchman's Bay. From Bar Harbor the motor launch headed southeast following the eastern coast of Mount Desert Island as far as the high rocky promontory of Great Head. From there the course lay northeast passing Egg Rock Lighthouse at the very mouth of the bay, continuing around the steep eastern coast of Ironbound Island, then heading westward close to the southern margins of the Porcupines, and back to the starting-point. Sixteen cruises, averaging 34 persons to a party, were taken in the course of the season.

The geology of Mount Desert and the nearby islands was stressed during the first half of the cruise while the latter half of the brief voyage was devoted largely to the seabirds in the vicinity of Ironbound Island. Since living things are always of greatest interest to the general public, the sea birds attracted most attention. To see the little Black Guillemots (locally called "Sea Pigeons") winging their way rapidly over the waves, their bright coral-red feet trailing behind, gave rise to many exclamations of delight. Occasionally troops of Double-crested Cormorants left the high perpendicular cliffs along the southeastern face of Ironbound - a kind of mysterious dignity enshrouding the flight of these dark, long-necked, silent birds. Noisy Ospreys enlivened the trip with their high-pitched cackling, frequently flying close to the boat. A number of pairs of these large fish-hawks nested on the islands in the bay, and some of these bulky conspicuous nests were invariably pointed out by the nature-guide. Herring Gulls were always seen in greater or less numbers, a large number of them congregating on the Hop Island where they nested in early summer. Great Blue Herons, Sandpipers, noisy Common Terns, Crows, Bald Eagles, and a few other species were observed by some of the groups.

At times a school of sleek black Porpoise would be sighted, and, in mid-August, three or four of the groups were favored by seeing a Humpback Whale in the immediate region of the Porcupine Islands. The big cetacean first made its appearance on August 10 and was seen thereafter on thirteen consecutive days. At sunset, on August 14, two launches bearing 75 members of the Appalachian Mountain Club - a special Naturalist's Sea Cruise party - came upon the whale near Bald Rock and watched it spout and breach - a memorable exhibition.

- Arthur Stupka