Dive-in Theater with Acadia National Park Ranger

This was a great experience and I'd recommend it for children and adults alike. I took my 70 year old fit and active parents. My mom was concerned about sea sickness and at the early stages of the trip out to the anchor site the waves were a little worrisome, but very quickly the ride got smoother and it never became an issue. Though the great people on the boat let us borrow those motion sickness wrist bands and gave my mom candy (again, in the end she never really needed it). I can't say enough about how entertaining and interesting this tour was. It was neat also having the Acadia National Park ranger with us. Learning about all the scuba equipment including the amazing camera was very interesting. We got to see the diver as he collected marine life and then got to learn about them and "play" with them after he brought them back to the surface. It was like being on the Discovery channel live! The 3 hours flew by. I highly recommend this activity for anyone who enjoys the outdoors and adventure. Bring a jacket and wear long pants! We went August 2 and it was cool!! I had shorts on and wish I had pants. Have fun!

Kids got sick on whale watch. Enjoyed this more. Have been to aquariums, but this gave opportunity to see and touch common sea creatures up close.

Our trip on Diver Ed's Starship Enterprise was truly out of this world! The opportunity to learn about local ecology and creatures from a team who clearly is passionate about the local environment is not to be passed up. For grownups, Diver Ed, Captain Evil, and the rest of the crew are a wealth of fascinating information. For kids, Ed's slightly zany personality can't help but spark enthusiasm and laughs. (Observing the quirky rapport of the team was nearly as interesting and entertaining as the featured attraction of wildlife.) And for all ages, the chance for a hands-on experience with marine life - which for us included cradling starfish, lobsters, the unbelievably cute hermit crabs, scallops, and the bizarre sea cucumber - is AWESOME and memorable. The scenery of the outlying islands is beautiful, as well, and the museum of the College of the Atlantic, where tour groups meet up, is well curated and worth a look, too. I give Diver Ed's Dive-In Theater my absolute highest recommendation. If you're downeast, don't miss this!

Lot of fun and educational at the same time. Worth the money

My husband and I read about Diver Ed online prior to our trip to Bar Habor and we were excited for our 3 hour trip with Ed and a park ranger. Ed, and company, did not disappoint! From our 1st interactions with "Captain Evil", Ed's wife to our final good-byes to the crew, we were delighted. Ed has a genuineness about him and his sincere enthusiasm for his profession is quickly conveyed to the cruise participants. Ed is an average guy who loves to dive and explore. He explains his dive preparations in depth, took us through each step and we watched him disappear into the cold water. Immediately, he began sending video back to the boat of the magnigicent scenes he discovered 70 feet below. Beautiful and colorful video containing the most interesting creatures. Ed bagged up those creatures and toted them back to the boat for everyone to enjoy 1st hand. He fished out a 8 pound lobster and brought that up to, which made for spectacular photos! Huge starfish, sea cucumbers & urchins. What a delightful 3 hours - and I forgot to mention the ranger! She was so informative and sweet - the children on the boat loved her. All in all, this is a must do activity for all ages. You will be sorry you missed it! And - a note for the ladies - there is a restroom onboard.

Very educational and interesting for all. Comfortable and easy to see all,

While camping at Acadia, we decided to take this excursion based upon the desire to obtain some exposure to the the sea life in the area. The directions to the meeting location were easy and spot on. The Doerr Museum of Natural History in and of itself is very interesting. The museum contains displays of the local wildlife with brief but informative narratives. There is also a "touch pool" where kids can touch starfish, sea urchins and other sea creatures. After being summoned by the Captain of the crew (affectionately named "Captain Evil") we were escorted to the "Starfish Enterprise" where we were greeted by "Diver Ed" and his crew. We were also greeted by Park Ranger Lisa who narrated our voyage (30- 40 minutes) to Diver Ed's dive location. The boat comfortably seated about 45 people. There was a flat screen at the front of the boat which was easily viewable. When we got to the dive site, we were able to see Diver Ed don his dive suit and he explained in detail the purpose of each piece of his dive equipment. He and his crew of about 8 were very entertaining and, at the same time, very informative. Diver Ed and his HD video camera explored the bottom of the Harbor at about 30 feet below sea level, showing the sea life on the flat screen at the front of the boat. Diver Ed narrated his exploration of the bottom (demonstrating that he was extremely knowledgeable of what he was observing) and collected various sea creatures and put them in his "carry bag". After about 30 -45 minutes under the water, Diver Ed surfaced with the sea life that he collected and put them in several tanks that were on the boat. The passengers on the boat, in particular the children, were invited to approach the tanks and, under the supervision of the crew and Park Ranger Lisa, touch the specimens brought from below. The participants were encouraged to ask questions which were answered by Diver Ed, Park Ranger Lisa and the rest of Diver Ed's crew. There were creatures that we observed and interacted with that I didn't even know they existed. This was a great excursion and should not be missed if visitors are looking to learn about the sea life off the shore of Bar Harbor while laughing their heads off. Don't miss this.

This was a very enjoyable experience. Fun for all ages in our group (8 to 75 years). We liked the humor and educational aspects, and being able to see and hold the different creatures was very memorable. Highly recommended!

I took this cruise with two of my children, ages 12 and 6 and I'm not sure which of us enjoyed it the most. It was funny, educational and memorable. Where else could my kids have held sea stars,sun stars, a sea cucumber, a lobster and a sea urchin? We also saw seals and bald eagles. Weeks after returning home, my youngest is still grossing out her friends and grandparents as she explains how sea cucumbers escape their predators by expelling their internal organs and running the other way! A great experience for all ages - highly recommended!

Don't miss this one! My group included my husband and adult son and we had a blast! The crew couldn't have been nicer. It was so fascinating to view on the big screen Diver Ed along with Mini Ed go down to the bottom of the sea and look for creatures. He brought many different creatures up that we got to hold. We laughed so hard when Diver Ed and Mini Ed where exploring the sea floor. Any age will enjoy this experience. If we make it up that way again we will be sure to do this again!