Wildlife in Acadia National Park: Birds, Whales, Puffins & Animals

Wildlife in Acadia National Park

Overlanding isn’t just about the drive, and many of those who enjoy it have interests that perfectly pair with life in the wilderness. Beyond vistas and natural formations, an interest in wildlife goes hand in hand with a love of the outdoors. At Acadia National Park, you can find the best of both worlds.

Acadia and the sea beyond it encompass everything from marine life, to land warblers to Atlantic Puffins. If you decide to include Maine in your next overlanding trip, here’s a run-down of the wildlife you can expect to find.

Puffin Colonies

The small islands around Maine that border Acadia National park serve as nesting islands and habitats for Atlantic Puffins throughout the summer months. These islands are the only sites where puffins nest in the United States. The puffin is more solitary in winter and remains far from land.

Because of this, birding enthusiasts flock to Maine during the nesting season to add the puffin to their life list of spotted birds. Also viewable on Acadia’s coast line are other shore birds like the Arctic Tern, whose migration from Antarctica to the Arctic covers an astonishing 25,000 miles!

Watch out for Sea Sickness!

Unlike many of the National Parks in the United States, the only way to see the most famous wildlife in Acadia is by hopping on a boat tour. There are many puffin tours in the area that take visitors out to see the nesting islands. With the right binoculars or camera, you can catch these beautiful birds in their natural habitat.

The same goes for the various whale species that can be found in the waters around Maine. Several times a day whale tours head out to see humpback, finback and minke whales.

You can also spot harbor seals basking on the rocks of nearby islands, and porpoises playing in the wake behind the boat. While the boating excursions can run the risk of sea sickness, it can all be worth it when exceptional wildlife is the goal.

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Turning Inland into Acadia National Park

Acadia doesn’t just have coastline to offer to visitors. With lakes, mountains and pine forests to explore, there’s no shortage of inland animals to take in. For bird enthusiasts, one only needs to stop for a minute and listen to notice the myriad of species who call the park home, or migrate there in order to raise their young.

One such bird, the Blackburnian Warbler, migrates up to Acadia National Park (and other areas of the Northern US and Canada) to breed. It spends its days in the park tirelessly hunting for food in order to meet the demands of extremely hungry fledglings.

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The Elusive Owl

Acadia National Park is also home beautiful Barred Owls, who nest in the park to raise their young. For visitors who are quiet and respectful of wildlife, it’s possible to see juvenile owls like the one pictured below.

During the day, these birds are more subdued. They roost in trees through the daylight hours, but can still occasionally be heard calling before nightfall.

At night, they like to hunt small mammals. Unlike the Blackburnian Warblers and Arctic Terns, Barred Owls don’t migrate. They’ll often be found within the same few miles with very little overall movement.

Acadia National Park Awaits

For birders, wildlife enthusiasts and anyone who appreciates nature, Acadia National Park is the destination of a lifetime. Cooler in the summer than many travel destinations, and offering a wide range of habitats, this National Park is like no other.

With a little patience and respect for wildlife, you can see and photograph many of the nearly 338 bird species, 40 mammal and 30 fish species who call this park home. Or you can see the complete list of species from here: Species list for Acadia National Park.

Visitors come to Acadia for:

• Seabird Colonies
• Migrating Songbirds
• Whale Watching
• Harbor Seals
• Forest Wildlife

All photos were taken by Christopher Gutierrez (instagram: @c.gutierrez_photography ) using a Nikon d-5600 camera, with a Sigma 150-500mm lens.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Are there puffins in Acadia National Park?

Atlantic puffins are not usually seen directly inside Acadia National Park itself, but they live on small offshore islands along the Maine coast near the park. These islands provide nesting habitats during the summer months and are the only places in the United States where puffins breed. Many visitors exploring Acadia take boat tours from nearby coastal towns to observe puffins in their natural habitat.

Where to see puffins in Acadia National Park?

The best way to see puffins near Acadia National Park is by joining a wildlife or bird-watching boat tour that travels to nearby nesting islands off the Maine coast. These protected islands host puffin colonies during the breeding season. From the boat, visitors can often see puffins flying, swimming, and diving for fish while returning to their nesting sites. Bringing binoculars or a zoom camera lens greatly improves the viewing experience.

When is the best time to see puffins in Maine?

The best time to see puffins in Maine is during the summer nesting season, typically from late May through early August. During this period, puffins return to offshore islands to breed and raise their young. This is when bird-watching tours operate regularly and sightings are most common. Outside of the breeding season, puffins spend most of their time far out at sea and are rarely visible from shore.

How many days to visit Acadia National Park?

Most visitors spend two to three days exploring Acadia National Park. This allows enough time to experience the park’s coastal scenery, hiking trails, lakes, and wildlife. Travelers interested in birdwatching, photography, or whale watching may want to stay longer to increase their chances of seeing animals such as seabirds, harbor seals, and migrating songbirds.

What animals live in Acadia National Park?

Acadia National Park is home to a wide variety of wildlife across its forests, mountains, and coastal waters. Visitors may encounter seabirds such as Atlantic puffins and Arctic terns, migratory songbirds like the Blackburnian Warbler, and forest birds including Barred Owls. Offshore waters support marine life such as humpback whales, minke whales, porpoises, and harbor seals. With nearly 338 species of birds recorded in the park, Acadia is considered one of the best wildlife destinations in the northeastern United States.