Diver Ed

I had been told by a friend that Diver Ed was not to be missed so, when I brought my grandchildren, ages 7 and 9, to Maine, I scheduled our outing. The weather was great in late June--not too cold. Diver Ed and his mate Captain Evil kept the children and adults involved with all aspects of his dive--his dry suit, sound and camera system, dive computer, and harvesting of sea creatures which were brought up and transferred to containers. After talking about the sea stars, sea cucumbers, etc., we were allowed to hold them and pass them around. I really like the fact that the children got to see the process by which the live specimens were harvested, filmed, handled and returned to the wild. We also enjoyed the Newfoundland that demonstrated the life vests and Mini Ed who braved the deep with Diver Ed.

This was well worth the price we paid. Our kids enjoyed themselves learning about sea creatures. I would highly recommend this for families with grade-school age kids.

This activity was wonderfully balanced with fun, humor, education, and comfort for all. I brought my three kids ages 8, 8, and 10 and my husband and we were all very entertained. We learned a great deal while marvelling at the great technology which allowed us to see what the diver saw, at the ocean floor! There were a lot of kid friendly lessons (always swim with a buddy!) and fun (mini Ed's battles with the lobster) while still keeping the adults engaged with lots of interesting facts - the park ranger on board answered nearly all the questions, but I was amazed that when she was stumped, Diver Ed filled us in on details of the life cycles of the underwater life. I would highly recommend this activity for adults and children over 8, there is an alternative, shorter tour for the younger ones but we took the three hour tour and it was perfect. I recommend people take warm clothes, no matter the season.

It was great seeing various sppecies in their natural environment and then bringing them back to the boat for an up close and personal view was the icing on the cake.

My girl scout troop loved this activity! Diver Ed was so funny we never stopped laughing! We saw so many amazing animals and got to hold all of them! Great trip!!!

My two grandsons (aged 5 and 8) and I took this wonderful trip. Definitely worth repeating annually. I'm local; they are from CA. The photography is exquisite, the attention from Diver Ed and his wife is outstanding, the prices are reasonable (very expensive equipment in use).... I can't think of a single suggestion to improve this adventure !! A visit to the conveniently located COA natural history museum before or after the boat trip is a bonus if you have time.

Diver Ed was great with the kids. It was totally entertaining. The kids got to hold lots of need sea creatures and watching him on the screen diving for them was really neat. WE HIGHLY recommend this trip. We had a blast!!

We recently attended the Drive In Theater and I can't say enough good things. Our kids 4 and 6 loved it. The kids loved being able to touch the sea creatures and the adults loved the facts provided. The trip was just the right length to keep the kids attention. The live video feed was a great way to keep the kids engaged while Diver Ed was collecting creatures. We also loved that many of the creatures seen on our trip could be found in the local tide pools. It gave us a great foundation for identifying what we found later. We would definitely recommend this trip to anyone considering a boat trip with kids.

Yes, the term "awesome" is over-used, but the Diver Ed experience is truly awesome. This was our 4th year of enjoying Diver Ed and his lovely wife "Dr Evil" (aka Edna) bring the undersea of the Maine waters to life with pure joy, passion and humor in a "3-part" fun-filled outing. Our tour was full, but it didn't matter as Diver Ed made sure to personally introduce himself to all and talk directly to children on board as we set off on a lovely ride to deeper waters, getting up close to many Harbor and Grey seals atop Ledge (?) Rock, slowing down to allow lots of photos. The next chapter of fun begias when the children help push Diver Ed overboard with his ultra-cool, underwater, HD camera. Ed explores the bottom of the ocean floor with his diver buddy "mini Ed". He has the eye and experience to find these sea creatures hidden in the nooks and crannies, and has a blast trying to "capture" them for show-and-tell, while Dr Evil adds her calm and witty commentary to his antics. The third part of this awesome experience is hands-on. The sea creatures - lobsters, scallops, starfish, sea cucumbers (our favorite!) and more - are brought up on board so that all can get close and personal - and that's when Diver Ed is at his best as he not only describes each creature, but acts out the part! It's hilarious! Pure joy of just having fun - and while it may seem that Diver Ed is having the most fun of all - that's what makes this experience so awesome. After everyone has a chance to touch and feel the creatures and take pictures and videos, then Ed gathers them all up and gently puts them back in the ocean to continue their merry lives, and the boat (sadly) turns back. After all the excitement, the boat ride back is a nice relaxing way to end the tour. The tour is good for families with any age children, and if you don't have kids - go anyway! It's a great value and you get 1) a nice boat ride, usually with excellent sightings of seals and local birds - great for photographers; 2) an HD view of the creatures under the sea projected up top in an 50"+ HD flatscreen; 3) a hands-on experience of live creatures, complete with Diver Ed stories and comedy. You cannot miss this if you're in Bar Harbor! Cheers and enjoy!

We had a great time from start to finish. The trip was very interactive and educational. My children loved Diver Ed and the dogs. The hands on experience, as well as the video of the bottom of the ocean was first class. If we ever travel to Maine again, we will be sure to book another trip with Diver ED. The Maline's

Diver Ed and his sidekick, Captain Evil, were fantastic. We have 3 children ages 14, 13 and 10 and they loved the trip. We thought about going on the trip when the park ranger attends but with kids that age believe this was the better option

We thoroughly enjoyed Diver Ed and his crew! We were blessed with a small group, so I think the kids got even more exposure to the animals than they might have otherwise. The sea creatures he brought up were nothing new to what my kids have seen before, but Ed's commentary and information was what made it great. We learned a lot of little facts that we didn't already know. Plus, the timing was right, and Ed went out of his way to show us some seals and bald eagles on the way back home. All in all, an educational and entertaining few hours spent. My kids said Diver Ed was the best thing we did on our trip to Mt. Desert Island. Worth the money!

If you are visting Bar Harbor and you have kids (or not) the Dive-in Theater is worth your time. Every person I have spoken to that has been on this trip has nothing but praise. Diver Ed and Captain Evil do a great job entertaining. I will be returning for a second theater show later this summer.

Diver Ed and crew obviously love their jobs! They held the interest of children and adults alike. We will definitely do this on our next trip to Bar Harbor and will recommend the cruise to everyone coming this direction. Thanks to Diver Ed and Captain Evil!

A Park ranger narrators about the ecosystem of Bar Harbor as the Starfish Enterprise cruises to a point just off Egg Rock Lighthouse in Frenchman Bay. Once the anchor is dropped, Diver Ed gears up for a dive. With a camera in tow, images are transmitted to a flat screen t.v. on deck for all to see. Diver Ed brings up his marine life finds: sea cucumber, urchins, star fish, lobster. Passengers then have an opportunity to touch these animals before they are returned to the sea. Diver Ed has a great sense of humor. His assistant during the dive is Mini Ed a Playmobile toy.