Evening Puffin Cruises July 5, 2008

Join the Marine Science Center for Summer Evening Puffin Cruises

Port Townsend, WA—Add a little colorful fun to your summer with a cruise to see the brightly adorned tufted puffins on Protection Island. Sponsored by the Port Townsend Marine Science Center (PTSMC) and Puget Sound Express, cruises begin Saturday, July 5 and continue on July 12, 26 and August 2 and 9. All cruises depart from Point Hudson Marina at 6 p.m. and return at 9 p.m.

“These cruises are our most popular wildlife viewing cruises all year,” said Anne Murphy, executive director for the PTMSC. “Everyone loves to see puffins, and the beauty of our summer evenings on the water make for a perfect little getaway. It’s a unique opportunity to see the birds in their natural habitat: with a fish in their bill, swimming, flying or even diving.”

The name puffin originally meant "fatling." In the last half of the 1800s the puffin was given the scientific name of Fratercula arctica, which means "little brother of the north" in Latin. That could also be interpreted as “little friar,” alluding to the puffin’s black and white plumage, reminiscent of a friar’s robes. Another thought is that the little friar was derived from the puffin’s habit of holding its feet together when taking off, suggestive of hands clasped together in prayer. People used to claim that a puffin was actually a cross between a bird and a fish because of its excellent ability to swim underwater.

Take a cruise with the PTMSC and look for these colorful, clever birds for yourself. Protection Island, at the mouth of Discovery Bay, is a very special place in the summer. Naturalists from the PTMSC, familiar with the island, its local bird population and marine mammals, are on-board interpreters and provide excellent commentary. Dry, brown and lonely, it looks like a rather inhospitable place. But it’s actually vibrantly alive with thousands of nesting birds, including tufted puffins. It’s for a glimpse of the elusive tufted puffin that many visitors make the trip. Puffins use burrows in the cliffs and uplands to raise one or sometimes two chicks.

All proceeds for the cruises and sail will benefit the PTMSC’s educational programs. Cruises are $55 per person ($50 for Port Townsend Marine Science Center, Burke Museum, Audubon or Washington Ornithological Society members). Reservations are required for each trip and may be made by phone at (360) 385-5582 or (800) 566-3932 or e-mail: cruises@ptmsc.org. Please note that PTMSC can’t guarantee you’ll see puffins, but they promise to give it their best.

Official Website: http://www.ptmsc.org