The boat ride to the island can take about an hour, across choppy Atlantic waters. Be aware that you'll have to disembark on the island, so wear good shoes for a rocky, and potentially wet, shoreline. The island is a bird sanctuary, so keep a respectful distance from all wildlife on the island.

Access is restricted and visitors' movements are rigidly controlled. Visitors are not allowed to roam about.

During the seabird breeding season, when tourists usually visit the island, there is a maximum of 30 visitors per day that can only land with a tour operator who holds a federal access permit. 

At the size of just 18 acres, Machias Seal Island is an island three leagues off the coast of Maine and 3.5 leagues off the coast of New Brunswick’s Grand Manan Island. It was likely inhabited by the Passamaquoddy Nation prior to European settlement but was never paid any attention by colonial powers until after the American Revolution when the Treaty of Paris was signed. According to Article Two of the treaty, the United States had rights to any territory less than 20 leagues off of its coast, so long as it was south of the mouth of the St, Croix River and north of coastal Florida. Machias Seal Island satisfied these conditions.

However, in response, the Canadians referenced a 1621 land grant from Sir William Alexander, founder of Nova Scotia, who claimed that any island within six leagues of the Canadian coastline would be declared part of Canada. Machias Seal Island also satisfied these conditions.

So, from the late 1700s on, Machias Seal Island was claimed by two countries. While other islands also fell under this category, treaties have since settled the issues for all except Machias Seal Island (and the adjacent North Rock), which both countries resisted compromising on by refusing to commit to a 1979 International Court of Justice agreement.

There are several different birding boat tours, whale watches, and pelagic trips that leave from Bar Harbor and other Maine ports. For pelagic trips, familiarize yourself with eBird's pelagic protocol and use the appropriate personal locations or eBird hotspots

The eBird pelagic protocol applies to checklists that are made farther than two miles offshore on oceans, seas, or large lakes. Choose the Pelagic Protocol option from the ‘Other’ menu of Observation Types. Please note that we still have much to learn about seabird distribution, so we encourage you to add photos and notes to document your sightings on your checklists! 

If you’re moving: Count for up to 60 minutes on each checklist; stopping at the 1-hour mark. Record the distance traveled (ideally with eBird Mobile Tracks), adjust the distance estimate for backtracking as you would a traveling checklist, and choose a location on the map for where you started that checklist period. Repeat this process throughout the trip until you return to within two miles of shore.

If you’re anchored: Keep a checklist for as long as you’re anchored, and then follow the above instructions once you start to move again.

Great and Sooty Shearwaters often dominate the ocean during the second half of summer. Wilson's Storm-petrels can be abundant. Some of the world's biggest colonies of Leach's Storm-petrels also nest along the Maine coast, but their nocturnal habits make them difficult to find. In August, after breeding, they are sometimes seen in daylight from the whale-watch boats, especially off Acadia National Park. Bar Harbor Whale Watch is outstanding for pelagic species during its whale trips. Northern Gannets are frequent sights. Red and Red-necked Phalaropes gather offshore by the thousands later in summer.

A few Northern Fulmars are seen, and their numbers increase late in the season. Parasitic and Pomarine Jaegers are regularly seen from whale-watch boats, and a Long-tailed Jaeger is spotted in most years. Great and South Polar Skuas are seen sporadically and seem to be on the increase. All of the local alcid species are possible, especially in post-breeding dispersal.

Currently, the number of boat tours for pelagic birding in Maine is increasing. Maine Audubon offers the largest tour in autumn. Its annual trip on the Bar Harbor Whale Watch boats from Bar Harbor attracts birders from all over the world. In 2007, Maine Audubon began organizing additional trips to Matinicus Rock. Check the Event Schedule at Maine Audubon. 

Northern Gannets, Black-legged Kittiwakes, Great and Sooty Shearwaters, Razorbills, and Common Murres are often seen from the Grand Manan ferry.