Join us on our annual grand trip to see Puffins with FOMCI in 2026! Travel in style on the Bar Harbor Whale Watch Company's Friendship V for our annual fundraising event to benefit the Refuge.  The Friendship V takes us on a swift, quiet and eco-friendly ride to Petit Manan Island, which is home to terns, puffins, black guillemots and more.  While we can’t go ashore, we will have the opportunity to chat with the Island Interns and ask questions about the seabirds and what it’s like to live on the island during the summer.  There is a very good chance of seeing Wilson’s storm-petrels or shearwaters on this trip. 

We will raffle off two Puffin-themed gift baskets, so bring some cash!  Sweet and savory finger foods are provided by the Friends, and the boat will have a cash bar.  You may bring your own non-alcoholic drinks and food, but nothing in a glass container or hard cooler. 

Tickets are $65, and 100% of each ticket supports the Friends of Maine Coastal Islands NWR and the Refuge. Children aged 10 and under who are with their parent/guardian can come for free. We recommend arriving by 1:30 to park for free in the new Acadia Gateway Center in Trenton. From there you take the shuttle to Bar Harbor with a stop very near the Friendship V dock. The shuttles run every 15 minutes from 7 am to 10 pm. Or you can park in Bar Harbor along designated streets and in lots that can be secured using the ParkMobile app. Set up your ParkMobile app before you arrive to make it easier as parking can be limited - our advice is to get there early!  Rain or shine!  Be at the dock for boarding at 3:00 pm. The Bar Harbor Whale Watching Company is located at 1 West Street, Bar Harbor, Maine.