Boat Ride to the Wild Side

In February 2014, Maine Boats, Homes & Harbors joined a group of wildlife experts and photographers aboard Equinox for a visit to Seal Island, one of Penobscot Bay's outermost islands. A mile long by 300 yards across at its widest, Seal Island was historically a destination for harvesters of eggs, feathers, and meat, which contributed to the local extinction of gray seals and a variety of nesting seabirds. During World War II and until the 1960s, the military used the island for target practice, adding to the island's woes. Now part of the federal Maine Coastal Islands National Wildlife Refuge, the island is home once again to a growing colony of gray seals and a wide variety of seabirds. For a full story on gray seals, visit maineboats.com.