There were puffins standing on land, flying, swimming, taking off, and landing
This photo was taken off Eastern Egg Rock Island in Maine. During the summer months, Atlantic puffins gather on a remote island off of Boothbay Harbor, Maine. There are tour companies that go for puffin cruises and whale watches so I decided to go for it. It was a very foggy July day, but once we got to Egg Rock Island, the visibility was fine. I was blown away by how many puffins there were. There were puffins standing on land, flying, swimming, taking off, and landing.
I was surprised by how fast puffins could fly, and the fact they could fly at all. Despite having the body shape of a penguin, these birds can reach speeds of 50 miles per hour. Atlantic puffins are stocky with short wings and a large bill. They have bright orange webbed feet. Their distinct look makes them easy to identify. Their bright orange-red beak is their most distinct feature. They are known to have a powerful bite. An overlooked feature is their black top and white underside. While sitting on the surface, this provides concealment from overhead threats (black feathers against blue water) and undersea threats (white feathers against light colored sky).
The history of puffins on Eastern Egg Rock Island is interesting. In 1973, the National Audubon Society launched a project to reestablish Atlantic puffins on historic nesting grounds in the Gulf of Maine. Puffins had not been seen on Eastern Egg Rock Island since 1885. After years of efforts, the puffin population on Eastern Egg Rock Island has grown to around 188 puffin pairs (as of 2019).
Similar to the Atlantic yellow-nosed albatross we are featuring this month, Atlantic puffins tend to spend most of their time over the ocean, only returning to land to breed.
After years of efforts, the puffin population on Eastern Egg Rock Island has grown to around 188 puffin pairs (as of 2019)
Did you know?
- Male and female Atlantic puffins look identical. However, males tend to be slightly larger.
- Atlantic puffins tend to return to breed on the island they were born on.
- Eastern Egg Rock Island is the southernmost habitat for puffins in North America.
- A geo-tagged puffin flew ~4,800 miles in an 8-month span. It was tagged in Maine, flew north to the Labrador Sea, then flew south to the mid-Atlantic.
- Atlantic puffins use their wings to fly and swim.
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