Ben Hollar

Software developer and hobbyist nature photographer.

1 minute read

In September 2022, my family went on our fourth trip to Mount Desert Island in Maine, home to both the quaint tourist town of Bar Harbor and to America’s 13th oldest national park, Acadia National Park. It also happens to be one of the most popular, and for good reason. It offers breathtaking views, varied hiking opportunities, spectacular seafood, tons of wildlife, and much more to enjoy. Suffice to say, it is one of my favorite places on Earth. Below, you’ll find some of my favorite photos from this most recent trip there.

Sightseeing

There are so many things worth seeing and photographing on Mount Desert Island, and I didn’t nearly capture them all on this trip. This time around, my favorite moments included a lighthouse tour on a large catamaran, enjoying a scenic ride on the Margaret Todd, a four-masted schooner, and stopping along Park Loop Road to climb over rocky cliffs and enjoy stunning scenic overlooks.

Bear Island Lighthouse Bass Harbor Head Light
Some of the rigging of the Margaret Todd schooner. Ropes tied up securing the sails of the Margaret Todd.
Dark ocean waves.
A foggy morning looking out on Bar Harbor. Looking across Jordan Pond to The Bubbles.

Wildlife

There were ample opportunities for birdwatching, one of my favorite things to do while out with my camera. Sea birds were abundant and easy to spot.

A herring gull stretching its wings. A juvenile herring gull flying. A northern gannet, perhaps a juvenile, flying. A double-crested cormorant swimming in the ocean.

Seagulls Opening Clams

While walking out on Bar Harbor’s namesake sandbar early in the morning – it’s only accessible during low tide – I witnessed seagulls showcasing surprising ingenuity to open clams (or mussels?). They would hunt around the wet ground to find clams exposed by the change in tides, pick them up in their beaks, fly directly upward, and then drop them, landing to collect their reward.

Seagull holding a clam in shallow water. Seagull flying upwards with clam in beak.
Seagull watching dropped clam fall to ground.

Family

I would be remiss not to include photos of my family and me enjoying the trip. Without them, I may never have discovered such a wonderful place, and spending time with them was a very meaningful part of the trip.

My mom, brother, and me at Pirate's Cove Adventure Golf. My brother posing like a mermaid. My girlfriend Roxanne and I on a very foggy afternoon. My brother standing on a rocky seaside cliff. Me, sitting on a rocky seaside cliff with my camera. My mom and dad at an oceanside overlook.

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The photos in this post are heavily compressed. I may share higher fidelity files upon request. If you're interested, please contact me via email.