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Maine whale watching & birdwatching cruises

country:USA
location:New England 
departures:2010: 24 May, 31 May, 17 Jun, 30 Jun, 19 Jul, 9 Aug, 28 Aug, 20 Sep, 27 Sep, 4 Oct, 11 Oct
2011: 3 May, 11 May, 19 May, 27 May, 4 Jun, 12 Jun, 20 Jun, 28 Jun, 6 Jul, 14 Jul, 22 Jul, 30 Jul, 7 Aug, 15 Aug, 23 Aug, 31 Aug, 14 Sep, 22 Sep
price:From US $1099 - US $5200 (6 - 17 days) excluding flights
Please note that due to the nature of this operator they may be at sea for lengthy periods and therefore replies to emails may take a while at certain times of the year
vouchers:Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday
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USA holidays
Whale watching holidays
Wildlife cruises

introduction to Maine whale watching & birdwatching cruises

Come with us on a sea adventure to explore the scenic coasts of Maine, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador, with your hosts Captains Rick and Karen. Share our dream of life on the sea on our renovated 90-foot Dutch fishing vessel. Enjoy a comfortable, intimate setting - only 12 passengers per cruise, beautiful yacht-style furnished cabins and homemade gourmet food and pastries. Get away from it all and enjoy the splendor and serenity of nature with us.

We offer eco-tourism cruises that reflect our great reverence for the natural world and its creatures. Join us in photographing and logging the position of whales and seabirds, and listening to and recording whale songs! We share the wildlife information we gather with conservation and research organizations.

Below are the dates of all our cruises in 2010 & 2011:

24 May 2010: Mothership Kayaking Expedition 6 Day US $1600
31 May 2010: Mothership Kayaking Expedition 6 Day US $1600
17 Jun 2010: Southern Newfoundland Expedition 10 Day $3600
30 Jun 2010: Expedition, East Coast of Newfoundland 16 Day $4200
19 Jul 2010: Newfoundland & Greenland Expedition 17 Day US $5200
09 Aug 2010: Greenland & Newfoundland Expedition 17 Day US $5000
28 Aug 2010: Newfoundland & Labrador's Eastern Coast 14 Day US $3999
20 Sep 2010: Mothership Kayaking Expedition 6 Day US $1600
27 Sep 2010: Maine Lighthouse Cruise 6 Day US $1299
04 Oct 2010: Maine Coast Hiking Cruise 6 Day US $1199
11 Oct 2010: Fall Foliage Cruise 6 Day US $1099
 
03 May 2011: Petersburg to Sitka 7 Day US $2000
11 May 2011: Sitka to Juneau 7 Day US $2000
19 May 2011: Juneau to Sitka 7 Day US $2000
27 May 2011: Sitka to Petersburg 7 Day US $2000
04 Jun 2011: Petersburg to Sitka 7 Day US $2000
12 Jun 2011: Sitka to Juneau 7 Day US $2000
20 Jun 2011: Juneau to Sitka 7 Day US $2000
28 Jun 2011: Sitka to Petersburg 7 Day US $2000
06 Jul 2011: Petersburg to Sitka 7 Day US $2000
14 Jul 2011: Sitka to Juneau 7 Day US $2000
22 Jul 2011: Juneau to Sitka 7 Day US $2000
30 Jul 2011: Sitka to Petersburg 7 Day US $2000
07 Aug 2011: Petersburg to Sitka 7 Day US $2000
15 Aug 2011: Sitka to Juneau 7 Day US $2000
23 Aug 2011: Juneau to Sitka 7 Day US $2000
31 Aug 2011: Sitka to Petersburg 7 Day US $2000
14 Sep 2011: Petersburg to Sitka 7 Day US $2000
22 Sep 2011: Sitka to Petersburg 7 Day US $2000

The Vessel
We invite you to join us aboard this extraordinary vessel. We have drawn from our experience of carrying passengers on a traditional rigged sailing ship to create a custom design for your safety and comfort. The vessel is a combination of several elements: a traditional ketch auxiliary sailing rig, interiors with classic yacht design, a gourmet galley, the strength and integrity of a working fishing vessel and capabilities for off-shore adventure.

Amenities
  • Intimate Setting - 12 Passengers Aboard Our 90 Foot Vessel
  • Varnished Woodwork in Galley, Library, Dining Area & Deck Salon
  • Large Spacious Decks
  • Spacious, Bright & Open Galley
  • 6 Cosy and comfortable double cabins
  • Private Head & Shower in Each Cabin
  • Observation Deck & Teak Steamer Chairs
  • Two Small Boats for Shore Side Adventures 
The below-deck salon is laid out in the typical style of a 19th century pilot schooner, with a warm comfortable wood interior. It was designed for educational films and natural history demonstrations, and can double as an informal classroom. At night, the salon is filled with lantern light, song and stories. Musical instruments are always welcome! Cabins are cozy and comfortable - public areas are spacious! The topside observation decks provides amazing views for birdwatching or stargazing. Relax in one of our classic teak steamer chairs.

Food
Our breads and pastries are homemade from scratch & baked fresh daily. All of our meals are prepared with fresh natural ingredients (some from our own gardens), so we have complete control of the ingredients that go into them! Our goal is to present delicious, healthy, high quality cuisine and all meals are served with a heaping helping of down home hospitality!

We can accommodate special diets with advance notice - Vegetarians and Vegans always welcome, and one of our specialties is vegetarian group charters!
how this holiday makes a difference
Rick and Karen are both from seafaring and fishing backgrounds, and feel strongly connected to the ecology of the Maine coast and Grand Banks. We are both active conservationists and hope to support conservation through low-impact tourism, research, education and awareness. Our Eco-tourism cruises reflect our great reverence for the natural world and its creatures.

To offer you a true natural history eco-tourism experience, we combine informal education and interactive wildlife research projects, with an on-board library and instruments. Here are some of the activities you may experience:
  • Whale watching and logging whale sightings and positions
  • Bird counts and logging
  • Wildlife photography
  • Listening to and recording whale sounds
We share the wildlife information we gather with several conservation and research organizations.

All projects are conducted with the well-being of the wildlife and environment as our primary consideration.

Our code of ethics include:
  • Lowest possible impact on the environment.
  • Guaranteed personal attention.
  • To support research through tourism.
  • Treat all life forms with love and respect.

Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people.

We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel.

'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left).

We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays.

We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism.

This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards.
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USA holidays| Whale watching holidays| Wildlife cruises
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