Diver Ed

Dan and Mini Dan did an awesome job of showing us the bottom of the sea, and it was amazing! Dan's explanations of the suit and gear were informative and seeing the sea life before me was wonderful! Captain Evil interpreted and they both used humor and were lighthearted making the afternoon fun. The park ranger gave a lot of information during the trip as well. This trip is worth every penny! Dan the Diver and Captain Evil worked very hard to make sure we learned and had a good time...and clearly they love the work they do! Thanks for a great time! Bernie Smith

This cruise was informative and very enjoyable. We had a small group (four couples plus the park ranger, boat operator and his crew of two). There was plenty of opportunity to ask questions. The dive was great - we saw Diver Ed get into his gear and had two-way communication with him during the entire dive. The park ranger was personable and knowledgeable about the area and its features. After the diver came up with his "haul," we were able to touch and examine the various critters he brought up. Would recommend this cruise without reservation.

My husband and I went to the Dive In Theater while we were in Bar Harbor on a Celebrity cruise ship. We both really enjoyed the experience. The couple who run the program were personable and very entertaining! I feel that this is an excursion that can be enjoyed by all ages.

This is second Diver Ed trip and will not be our last. Everyone with children that visits MDI should go and return on future visits. Dive In theatre is a brilliant concept and fun, memorable event on the water for all. Boat, Captain, Diver Ed, and mini Ed all add to the Discovery experience. Thank you again!

Nil

Diver Ed was very insightful and engaging. Our kids loved the trip and can't wait to go again next time we visit Bar Harbor.

A once In a lifetime experience. Our almost 4 year old was captivated and we were, too! Highly recommend for kids 3-12. And a great learning experience for adults too. Diver Ed is wonderfully enthusiastic and teaches on kids level. Ignore any criticism of potty humor in reviews... Ed and Edna keep kids attention and teach them about the sea creatures in an appropriate engaging way. Truly one of the best things we've ever done and we have traveled fairly extensively.

This adventure by far exceeded my expectations. Extremely educational for my kids and they loved all the hands on opportunities they had with the ocean life. Diver Ed and his crew were not only educational, but comical too. We found ourselves laughing right along with our children. I highly recommend this adventure. I know we will be enjoying diver Eds dive in theater again in the future.

Diver Ed doesn't advertise, and seems to rely on word of mouth. I've been coming to Bar Harbor for many years, and had not heard of him. A friend recommended him. I went with my 8 year old son, and it was fabulous. After a short boat ride, Ed puts on his scuba gear and dives with an HD video camera and lights, and has two way voice communication with the boat. He shows many of the ocean bottom creatures (sea stars, lobsters, crabs, sea cucumbers, fish, etc.) he comes upon, describing them and their live style. He then brings many of them to the boat, when they are put in sea water filled trays, for all to observe. He plays with the animals and the kids, who get to handle all of them, and is very entertaining. Afterwards, the animals are returned to the sea. A great experience for all.

My family thoroughly enjoyed every bit of the trip! It was a great mix of above water and below water exploration, sprinkled with humor throughout. Diver Ed, his wife "Capt. Evil" and Eleanor the Ranger worked together like a fine-oiled machine to make this an outstanding adventure for my wife and I, as well as keeping my 11 year old son captivated. The "3 hour tour" was a highlight of our trip to Acadia! Thanks, Diver Ed, Capt. Evil, and Eleanor!

In Oregon similar tours are done in Newport (Yaquina Bay) and in Coos Bay. Two additional ideas are used,:a tow line collection of phytoplankton which is then placed under microscope and projected on the screen; and a throw a trap over to catch a crab (e.g. a lobster). The Diver Ed sound, collection, video, light, projection on the screen was truly unique and very interesting. the pictures of the sea cucumberes sucking in their fan arms to harvest the phytoplankton I had never seen before. The eagle catching and consuming the duck was totally absorbing and having the extra binoculars available was most helpful. the show and tell with critter handling and the diving buddy were all cute and kid centered and held the little girl's interst, I think. Having a park ranger on board (Elinore)was a very good cooperative effort -- I think we might have had a bit more wetlands-Frenchmans Bay interaction explanation to tie Acadia more closely to what's hapening in the National Park with what's happening in the bay. I would have liked to hear a little more sophistication about why the water is 10 degrees warmer now than in the past at comparable times (climate change? Labraror currents? Iceland melts? how do these things work?) I was also ianterested in why there are so many lobsters -- no cod? fished out Georges Bank? Cod mutatating from 150 lbs apiece to 15 lbs?) I am also very appreciative of the comments received from Aliese Felton, Jill Weber and others about the cood citizenship of Diver Ed and Captain Evil and their contribution to the Desert Island community. Thanks.

We were in Bar Harbor for one day on a cruise so instead of paying for an overpriced excursion from the cruise line we did this. We had a blast. Ed and, his wife, Captain Evil, were very knowledgeable and entertaining. We learned a lot. It rained while we out but the boat is very well covered and we didn't get wet! I highly recommend this for all ages - my husband and I really enjoyed it.

What an enjoyable time! Great concept- an informative tour of the surrounding area and a scuba divers view of the ocean below. The kids were glued to the screen when Diver Ed was diving and then they got to hold everything he found! To top it off- his 2 newfs kept everyone company on board...We would definitely recommend this trip! (I rarely write reviews when asked, however, I feel this trip is a must for those in the area!)

The cruise was both educational and entertaining. The diver and crew were very friendly and informative, the two dogs were an added bonus.

We all laughed until we cried, and had a blast learning about all the amazing sea creatures.