{"id":18528,"date":"2012-06-06T16:41:22","date_gmt":"2012-06-06T20:41:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.portlandmonthly.com\/portmag\/?p=18528"},"modified":"2020-04-30T16:45:54","modified_gmt":"2020-04-30T20:45:54","slug":"where-can-i-see-a","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.portlandmonthly.com\/portmag\/where-can-i-see-a\/","title":{"rendered":"&#8220;Where Can I See A\u2026&#8221;"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" style=\"border: none; width: 100%; height: 450px;\" src=\"\/\/e.issuu.com\/embed.html?backgroundColor=%23d2d2d2&amp;d=201205sg&amp;hideIssuuLogo=true&amp;pageNumber=158&amp;u=portlandmagazine\" width=\"300\" height=\"150\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><br \/>\n<em>By Robert Witkowski<\/em><\/p>\n<h4>The Moose Chronicles<\/h4>\n<p>\u201cI had no idea they\u2019re so big!\u201d says<strong> Debbie Clausen<\/strong>. Call it serendipity, call it drive-by wildlife, but something magic is happening in front of her eyes as a moose cow raises her head to a full seven-feet high. As a calf floats over to his mother, Clausen, 52, jumps in her seat, and reaches for her camera. \u201cMy kids aren\u2019t going to believe this!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen I heard we were going to <strong>Moose Alley<\/strong>, I never thought we\u2019d see them like\u00a0<em>this<\/em>!\u201d It\u2019s long been a secret among Maine wildlife officials that the stretch of Route 16 between Rangeley and Stratton is as hot to trot for moose as a paranormal hotspot is for ghosts.<\/p>\n<p>Less than a mile past <strong>Rangeley Lakes Logging Museum<\/strong>, where an expansive field opens to the left side of the road, this area is a perfect one-two punch for visitors. \u201cGet out of town!\u201d Clausen, a tennis instructor from Madison, Wisconsin, exclaims as more silhouettes of North America\u2019s tallest land mammal step through the twilight into view. \u201cI\u2019m counting 13 cows and calves, and a full-rack bull.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Also extremely likely at this site: scourges of mosquitoes, rafters of turkeys, and a skulk of foxes.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou can see moose around sunset almost any night in Moose Alley,\u201d Rangeley Chamber of Commerce\u2019s <strong>Gail Spaulding<\/strong> says. \u201cThey come out of the woods when it cools down, especially summer nights through August. Then there\u2019s the run from Route 4 to Farmington, Bald Mountain, driving up at Height of the Land\u2014you never know when they might pop out.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>But what if you insist on an absolutely solid-gold guarantee to see a moose and have just two hours until you catch your plane? Though moose occasionally delight crowds at the Castle visitor center in Deering Oaks Park, \u201cthe sure fire answer is <strong>Gray\u2019s Maine Wildlife Park<\/strong>. You know you\u2019re going to see one there,\u201d says one of the travel associates.<\/p>\n<p>Drive to Gray\u2019s town center and head out Route 26 to Shaker Village near Poland Spring for some unforgettable contact with many of Maine\u2019s wild creatures, some of them rescues under the protection of the Department of inland Fisheries and Wildlife. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.maine.gov\/ifw\/wildlife-park\/index.html\">mainewildlifepark.com<\/a><\/p>\n<h4><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-5971\" src=\"http:\/\/www.portlandmonthly.com\/portmag\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/bald+eagle-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"bald+eagle\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.portlandmonthly.com\/portmag\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/bald+eagle-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.portlandmonthly.com\/portmag\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/bald+eagle.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/>The Eagle Has Landed<\/h4>\n<p>The fastest way to see a bald eagle is on the back of a dollar bill. Second fastest? A sweeping glide over <strong>Swan Island Wildlife Management Area<\/strong> on the Kennebec River in Richmond.<\/p>\n<p>Since their population is booming in Maine, you\u2019re likely to see one if you spend the day at any of Maine\u2019s lakes or major rivers.<\/p>\n<p>It almost too easy to \u201csend people to Eagle Lake,\u201d says Acadia National Park ranger <strong>True Muzzy<\/strong>. \u201cEspecially Connors Nubble. Eagles dive into the water, grabbing fish.\u201d You see these incredible splashes. \u201cThey like the high pines and stay near water, so you often see them by <strong>Thunder Hole<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<h4>Eyes In The Headlights<\/h4>\n<p>\u201cWhite-tailed deer and coyotes\u201d are part of Acadia\u2019s mysteries, too, Muzzy says. \u201cThey stay out of the heat,\u201d but in the gray hours of evening frequently make an appearance, emerging to feed. \u201cYou\u2019ll see them crossing <strong>Park Loop Road<\/strong> in groups between 5:30 and 7:30 p.m. Their eyes reflect headlights, so you\u2019ll see them well in the dark\u2026and should be able to stop in time,\u201d he says, conscientiously adding, \u201cif you\u2019re following the 35-mph speed limit.\u201d<\/p>\n<h4>Bear Necessities<\/h4>\n<p><strong>York\u2019s Wild Kingdom<\/strong> on Route 1 allows close viewings of Maine\u2019s black bears. But if you want an up-close and personal encounter with one of our 25,000 black bears on their turf\u2014the most of any eastern state\u2014it\u2019s possible, just an incredibly stupid idea.<\/p>\n<p>These 600 pounders may seem harmless but should be avoided if encountered \u201chiking <strong>Traveler Mountain<\/strong> or <strong>Roaring Brook Road<\/strong>,\u201d Baxter State Park\u2019s naturalist <strong>Jean Hoekwater<\/strong> says. \u201cBlack bears are generally anywhere there are berries and beech nuts. They\u2019re shy of people but have been known to go after food in a backpack or car. The real danger is coming between a mother and her cub\u2014they\u2019ve been known to make \u2018mistakes.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p>They also roam the northern counties for\u00a0summer love. In Aroostook County, look for<br \/>\nthem munching in Caswell\u2019s roadside oat fields along Route 1A.<\/p>\n<h4>Shell Shock<\/h4>\n<p>Mention the 12-pound lobster at<strong> Maine State Aquarium<\/strong> in West Boothbay and watch the bibs come out. But the sure-fire way to see <em>Homarus americanus<\/em> is only a feast for the eyes. \u201cChildren, especially, are always intrigued to see the various color combinations of our lobsters and some with abnormalities, like our four-clawed Dozer,\u201d <strong>Aimee Hayden-Roderiques<\/strong> says.<\/p>\n<p>Of course, the Old Port\u2019s <strong>Harbor Fish Market,<\/strong> <strong>Portland Lobster Company<\/strong>, and Cape Elizabeth\u2019s <strong>Lobster Shack at Two Lights<\/strong> are\u00a0more than happy to introduce people to their evening entr\u00e9e.<\/p>\n<p>The crustaceans\u2019 wild side is year-round, but three-dimensionally it\u2019s best seen aboard<em> Lucky Catch<\/em> as it steams from Portland\u2019s Long Wharf through Columbus Day. The two-hour harbor tour of lobster traps informs novices how and where the bottom dwellers live. Passengers can even pull a trap to the surface for some face (and antennae) time.<\/p>\n<h4><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-5981\" src=\"http:\/\/www.portlandmonthly.com\/portmag\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/puffin_50_by_Sagereid-deviantart-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"puffin_50_by_Sagereid-deviantart\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.portlandmonthly.com\/portmag\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/puffin_50_by_Sagereid-deviantart-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.portlandmonthly.com\/portmag\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/puffin_50_by_Sagereid-deviantart-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.portlandmonthly.com\/portmag\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/puffin_50_by_Sagereid-deviantart.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/>Keep on Puffin<\/h4>\n<p>\u201cIn the 1980s, you\u2019d only see two or three puffins\u2014now there\u2019s hundreds,\u201d <strong>John Taylor<\/strong> of <strong>Cap\u2019n Fish<\/strong>\u2019s says. He runs cruises out of Boothbay Harbor\u2019s Pier 7 at 42 Commercial Street. Sporting a brilliant red, yellow, and orange beak during the summer mating months, these pint-sized arctic seabirds are only found on the northern Atlantic coast, largely congregating on desolate 1.5-acre <strong>Eastern Egg Rock<\/strong> in <strong>Muscongus Bay. <\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The <strong>National Audubon Society<\/strong>\u2019s effort to repopulate the species started with Project Puffin in 1986. They\u2019ve coordinated with\u00a0Cap\u2019n Fish\u2019s from the beginning. Today, a biologist narrates the seabirds\u2019 saga to landlubbers aboard the 100-foot <em>Pink Lady II<\/em> and <em>Island Lady<\/em> through August 25. Still considered a threatened species, this southernmost colony \u201cis very successful,\u201d bouncing back with 90 nesting pairs. \u201cWe\u2019ve seen them 100 percent of the time the last two years,\u201d Taylor says. Guaranteed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe best views of puffins are when they\u2019re in the water. They get real close to the boat\u2014less than 30 feet\u2014and they\u2019re real friendly.\u201d<\/p>\n<h4>Whales of (July &amp;) August<\/h4>\n<p>If you will it, they will come to you. This particularly happens on <strong>Seal Island<\/strong>, the shoals of <strong>Jeffrey\u2019s Ledge<\/strong>, and <strong>Matinicus Rock<\/strong>. Minke, finback, humpback, and right whales all migrate through the Gulf of Maine until turning to warmer waters in October.<\/p>\n<p>As for promising you\u2019ll see a whale, Cap\u2019n Fish\u2019s ups the ante again with their whale watch 100 percent guarantee: If you don\u2019t see a whale, you get a ticket for another trip until you do. Bring\u00a0suntan lotion and Dramamine.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ve seen whales every time I go out,\u201d passenger <strong>Craig Barnes<\/strong> of Woolwich says. \u201cBut this one time they gave everyone a pass for another trip because they said they didn\u2019t think we saw<em> enough<\/em> whales. Who does that?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Sailing out of Lubec, <strong>Downeast Charter Boat Tours\u2019s Captain Ralph Carol<\/strong> makes the most of his boasts. \u201cEvery trip we made two years ago was 100 percent.\u201d Last year the figure was a respectable 75 percent. His 25-foot <em>Lorna Doone<\/em> \u201clobster yacht\u201d and 35-foot <em>Red Ryder<\/em> leave for two-hour and half-day voyages to find the beautiful behemoths 10 miles past <strong>Head Harbor Light<\/strong> into Cobscook, Fundy, and Passamaquoddy bays. How does he compete with Cap\u2019n Fish\u2019s? With pure theater and a ham named Gonzo.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou might see a humpback jump out of the water three or four times, but minkes don\u2019t usually breach like that,\u201d Carol says. \u201cBut this one minke we call Gonzo breached 100 times in a row.\u201d Not counting curtain calls.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.portlandmonthly.com\/portmag\/2012\/05\/animals-extras\/\">For more photos, click here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Where to see favorite Maine animals.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":18531,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[987,835,994,990,975,999,991,979,980,988,985,996,989,986,997,976,977,992,993,978,995,981,983,982,998,984],"class_list":["post-18528","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-aimee-hayden-roderiques","tag-baxter-state-park","tag-black-bear","tag-capn-fish","tag-debbie-clausen","tag-downeast-charter-boat-tours","tag-eastern-egg-rock","tag-gail-spaulding","tag-grays-maine-wildlife-park","tag-harbor-fish-market","tag-jean-hoekwater","tag-jeffreys-ledge","tag-john-taylor","tag-maine-state-aquarium","tag-matinicus-rock","tag-moose","tag-moose-alley","tag-national-audubon-society","tag-puffin","tag-rangeley-lakes-logging-museum","tag-seal-island","tag-swan-island-wildlife-management-area","tag-thunder-hole","tag-true-muzzy","tag-whale-watching","tag-wild-kingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.portlandmonthly.com\/portmag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18528","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.portlandmonthly.com\/portmag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.portlandmonthly.com\/portmag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.portlandmonthly.com\/portmag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.portlandmonthly.com\/portmag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18528"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.portlandmonthly.com\/portmag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18528\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18532,"href":"https:\/\/www.portlandmonthly.com\/portmag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18528\/revisions\/18532"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.portlandmonthly.com\/portmag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18531"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.portlandmonthly.com\/portmag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18528"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.portlandmonthly.com\/portmag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18528"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.portlandmonthly.com\/portmag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18528"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}