Puffins seem almost too exotic to live in New England , and thus we were pleasantly surprised to learn that they can easily be observed off of the Maine coast. The islands along the state’s rugged coastline are the only place in the United States that Atlantic puffins call home, with more than 4,000 puffins spending the summer on a few specific islands before flying back out to sea. The following is a comprehensive guide to when, where, and how to see these beautiful creatures in the state of Maine.

When can you See Puffins in Maine?

The best months to go on a puffin cruise are June and July. The birds come ashore to breed towards the end of April and return to sea in late August. Tours generally begin operating in late May and the season comes to an end in the middle of August. The beginning and end of the tour season can be hit or miss, so you will likely see the most puffins if you go in the middle of the summer when the vast majority of puffins are on land. For reference, we did a tour in August, and we saw 11 puffins. From what we have heard, this was actually fairly successful for this late in the season and many late-summer tours come up completely empty handed. The mid-summer tours often see dozens of puffins congregating on the islands.

Read More: Maine Road Trip Itinerary

Where to See Puffins in Maine

There are only a handful of companies that offer puffin watches, and since all of the puffins in Maine live on islands, all of the tours involve a boat ride. Only one tour allows passengers to disembark and view the puffins from land.