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    Diver Ed's Dive-In Theater

    5.0 (72 reviews)

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    T B.

    Unbelievably good time! My kids (7&10) had the best time but I think I enjoyed it even more than them. I lost count amount of times I laughed at the jokes and just watching Diver Ed and his antics. Take your kids. Don't think, just book. They don't do online reservations but they will get right back to you when you call! We have traveled from Louisiana to Maine and experienced a ton of adventure on our road trip, this ranks as our #1 activity this whole trip!

    Diver Ed showing the kids a sea star
    Heather P.

    Diver Ed's Dive-In Theater is by far my family's favorite activity near Bar Harbor. We went for our second time yesterday and Diver Ed did not disappoint. They go far above and beyond to make sure everyone on the boat gets to see the sea creatures that are brought up from the ocean floor. The inclusivity for all of the kids is so great. My son doesn't like to be in the big groups and even he got to see some really cool sea creatures. They brought it right to where he was sitting and really made his day. I honestly can't say enough good things about this. We will be back every time we're in town!

    Tom P.

    If you're looking for a kid-friendly, boating experience for a kid around 4 to 10, this is the trip you need to book! Reserved a spot for myself, 5-year old, and my mom on this trip. Tried to book for Monday but they were all booked up, so moved up the trip to Sunday at 9:30am. They ask you to be by the Dorr's Museum around 9:15 for checkin. We arrived a bit early so they allowed us to walk around the museum for about half an hour and use the lavatory. Although small, my son loved it and it filled the 30 minute wait time rather than just sit around until we got on the boat. You're greeted by Captain Ed who is the centerpiece of the experience. It truly is theatre as him and the crews sells it very well for the kids, they are absolutely exceptional with kids and knows all the gross out tricks (aka potty jokes) that pushes the right buttons to make them laugh and have a good time. We went on a rather calm day so the boat ride was pleasant, we then anchor close to one of the many islands as he prepares to jump in and catch sea creatures for the kids to touch. They do a good job of having the kids particpate here and there, but the main attraction is the different creatures that Ed has caught, literally an entire bag of starfish, lobster, crabs, sea slugs, you name it. He has a grand old time passing things around and getting the kids wet. Everyone then gets a chance to play with the creatures, they place rubberbands on the lobsters. This was an amazing experience for my 5-year old who was smiling from ear to ear and hopping all around from excitement. I've been on some other sea excursions but this has been by far the best experience for kids so far. Would highly recommend!

    Diver Ed and a lobster

    This was the best tour for kids. I have seen anywhere. My cheeks hurt. I was laughing so hard. Diver Ed and captain evil put on a great show. Even our 10ager was loving it. Our whale watch trip had gotten fogged out. This was great, even better than the whale watch. And we were out of the weather. i've been to plenty of aquariums and touch tanks and never seen sea life up this close. This trip is fantastic.

    Sea cucumber. Yum.
    Ahmad R.

    Overpriced? Maybe. Outstanding fun? Definitely. My two kids had a blast (7 and 4). It pushed the limits of time a bit for the four year old, so I wouldn't recommend younger. (There was a crying baby so don't get any ideas that it's for the tiny tiny ones.) Lots of fun touching sea animals and lots of great kid aged jokes. The video feed on his dive was really neat.

    Lobsters
    Neelam P.

    Great activity, especially if you have little ones. Diver Ed and crew are very lively, and frankly Ed made me laugh out loud several times by the things that he said. The kids get to see and touch real sea creatures, doesn't get much better than that. My toddler loved this experience, especially the lobsters and clams.

    The brand new Dive-In Theater boat, the Starfish Enterprise
    Matthew B.

    We went out on Diver Ed's Dive-In Theater this morning on the 9:30 AM 2 hour cruise. Parking was easy and we were met by Edna, aka 'Captain Evil' who escorted us down the pier where we boarded their brand new boat, the 'Starfish Enterprise'. Upon boarding the boat we were promptly greeted and sniffed by two very large friendly Newfoundland dogs, Leviathan and Halo. It should be noted that for reasons that mostly still escape us our 6 year old son had gotten into a rotten mood from the short trip from parking lot to the boat. We were warmly greeted regardless and Ed didn't semed to phased by having a kid rolling is eyes, whining, and complaining about having to be there at all. Our friends who had joined us on the cruise had their 5 year old son with them and he asked Ed how he got back to the surface when he was done. Ed, without missing a beat said 'Oh I just fart in my suit and it fills up wiht gas and I float to the surface'. Our grumpy 6 year old cracked his first smile then but quickly tried to hide it. However Ed's constant personable banter and jokes kept coming at every turn and seemed to wear his grumpy resistance, until upon hearing that he could help push Ed into the water for his dive, any pretense of being too grumpy to participate for the entire cruise was dropped and he was now 'all in'. Before diving Ed introduced us to Mini-Ed #101, a playmobile figure diver who accompanies Ed on his dives to help provide some scale to the video images we'll be seeing and to also provide some up close personal interaction with the creatures he'd be encountering. We were informed there were indeed 100 previous 'Mini-Ed's' who, through these repeated direct interactions with sea creatures had suffered injuries requiring their retirement. Ed donned his dry diving suit & diving gear and proceded to the back of the boat where all kids who were interested were able to help push him backwards into the water. Once he dove underneath he turned on the video camera system he had with him and we all watched on the big screen what he saw and found. As Ed roved the ocean bottom in search of lifeforms Captain Evil narrated what we were seeing and explained in detail about all we got to see in great detail on the video screen including plankton, kelp, sand dollars, barnacles, green crabs, rock crabs, welks, hermit crabs, sea cucumbers, sea urchins, a flounder, starfish (now officially referred to as 'Sea Stars' since they aren't technically a fish), a lobster and more. As we had been warned, Mini-Ed had some close encounters with the crabs, including a short 'battle' where the crab, wih Mini-Ed in it's claws performed what could best be described as professional wrestling moves slamming Mini-Ed against the front of camera etc. All the creatures that were caught were put in a small mesh bag. After about a 20 minute dive Ed returned to the surface with the bag. The bag full of creatures was then brought on board and placed in some clear plastic boxes with salt water as any kids interested were invited to sit up front. Ed then took different creatures out and showed up close to the kids in the front, often encouraging them to kiss, touch and ask questions about different creatures. Ed explained everything with a great combination of science fact and perfectly kid-level anthropomorphized humor, for example explaining how starfish eat their prey by extending their stomach in their prey by grabbing one of the kids in the front row as the role of the clam as he played the hungry starfish grabbing them tightly and then pulling them close to eat. The kids near the front got a close, sometimes wet, interaction as creatures were lifted to their surprised faces still dripping, wiggling and in the case of the Sea Cucumber squirting in all directions as Ed explained about them. Once done with the narration the plastic boxes were moved closer and everyone was encouraged to play in the touch tanks. Both Mini-Ed #101 and #100 joined us for this interaction. Ed kept lifting up sea cucumbers who promptly drained water on nearby kids and invited people to kiss it. He also put the, now rubber banded, lobster on surprised kids heads and (after asking permission) even helped give our son a mohawk while moonsnail slime, natures 'gel' I guess. Just before we left a local lobster boat (the Outcast) pulled up a trap nearby which contained a 'Lump Fish' so they swang over and passed this on so we could see it and learn about this too. We had a great time, the kids loved it, even our grumpy 6 year old left with a big smile on his face. The new boat is great and Ed & Edna we're loads of fun to watch, listen to and interact with. This isn't some pre-packaged touristy nature cruise, this is a really smart and funny duo doing what they love to do, sharing what they know and spreading an infectious love of science, curiousity and love of nature and our undersea world. Anyone visiting the Bar Harbor area with kids should check this out.

    Ed explaining to the kids on what he found in the water
    Brian V.

    A must go if you have kids. Actually, there is a Ranger lead tour that's probably good for adults as well. Captain Ed and his wife are great. He's engaging, funny, and the trip is very educational, even for the adults. He dives 70+ feet, had a camera where you are watching on a 80" screen and he is taking to you. He then comes up and talks about what he brought up. There is no need to go on the LuLu lobster boat AND Diver Ed's and Ed's is the better choice after we went on lulu first. Captain Ed- one suggestion is don't spend so much time talking about the costs of equipment, what broke, how often, etc... Thanks for a great trip! My entire family loved it Enjoy!

    This was one of the definite highlights of our Acadia trip with the kids. This was both very entertaining and educational for the kids and he adults in our party. Diver Ed and Capt. Evil kept us entertained the entire trip -which was very organized and well worth the $. It didn't hurt that we got to go on an absolutely beautiful day! We learned about scuba-diving, different crabs, lobsters, sea cucumbers, sand dollars, sea stars and even seals. After surfacing from his dives, the kids all got to handle and check out the sea creatures, while nicely supervised and entertained by Diver Ed. A nice treat for the kids was also their dog, Nori the Newfy... an enormous, but lovable Newfoundland 2 year-old dog. The parking at the college of the Atlantic was free and very convenient to the dock. Not to mention, there's also a great little nature museum in-site. Don't miss me this one if you're nearby during the summer!

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    So much fun! Kids and adults all loved it. Diver Ed is hilarious. My daughter loved holding the sea stars. Highly recommend!

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    Fantastic time! Ed is a great teacher and the kids don't even realize it is happening because it is so much fun!

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    Page 1 of 2

    Ask the Community - Diver Ed's Dive-In Theater

    Is this program more for kids?

    Personally I think it's for all ages. Diver Ed does let the kids participate during certain parts but all ages get to see him dive down to the ocean floor and get a good look at all of the sea creatures. I took my kids but wouldn't hesitate to go… Read more

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

    Review Highlights - Diver Ed's Dive-In Theater

    Diver Ed was hysterical and "Captain Evil" (sweet, not evil at all!) was witty and educational too.

    Mentioned in 16 reviews

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    Bar Harbor Whale Watch

    Bar Harbor Whale Watch

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    For my birthday, we joined a whale watching tour in the Gulf of Maine.  We honestly weren't sure…read morewhat to expect but were blown away by getting to see 3 different types of whales (Humpback, Minke, Finback), with multiples of each type and also two blue sharks. The people that led our tour were knowledgeable and friendly and I also appreciated they had food and drinks onboard for sale (and single serve dramamine). We had a hot dog, their ocean gin drink, and a blueberry harbor ale and couldn't have had a better time. Make sure to get there early as the most in demand seats on top of the boat were full after they let the people waiting in line early on the boat. I'd say we got there 30 minutes earlier than needed and got some of the best seats but there weren't many left. There is a shop with good coffee close so you can have one person hold your spot in line while others do that. Dress warmer than you think you need: we ended up wearing long sleeve shirts and pants with jackets and beanies and it wasn't a rough or especially cold day at sea and closer to 70 degrees on land. .

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    Oli's Trolley - Photo stop in Acadia National Park

    Oli's Trolley

    (206 reviews)

    A must when visiting Bar Harbor!…read more Everything about Oli's is top notch. Ordering our tours was super easy online. Friendly reminders via email were so helpful. We arrived for our first tour super early as we wanted to secure a parking spot (not easy to do in Bar Harbor) and the woman at the Trolley was so kind and make a suggestion to us for how to spend the time before boarding. Our amazing tour guide and driver, Jim, was super personable and interesting, and even helped us find blueberries and took several pictures of my husband and I with the beautiful backdrops of Cadillac Mountain and Jordan's Pond. We had a great bunch on the tour, and can say that this tour was the highlight of our trip. Jim even recommended a great place to eat, and it was so good, we went back again for dinner! But the icing on the cake was again customer service. We booked a second tour for the next day, and woke up to crummy weather, so we decided to head home and skip our tour. As we had passed the cancellation policy time of 24 hours notice, I did not request my money back, but did call and leave a message to let them know we would not be attending, so they wouldn't wait for us. Imaging my surprise when I looked in my email to find they had refunded my money! We would (and will) be touring with them again, and highly recommend them to anyone.

    Oli's is a prominent and reliable tour operator in Bar Harbor, and gives narrated tours of Acadia…read moreNational Park and downtown Bar Harbor. We chose the trolley for its old fashioned charm and a more open view, over taking another popular tour by bus given by a different company. I booked a 2.5-hour tour for my family during our cruise stop - the boarding location was super convenient (55 West St.), right by the tendor port at Town Pier, and the check-in process was organized and a breeze. This tour includes 15-minute stops at three of the most popular sites in the park: Thunder Hole, Jordan Pond, and top of Cadillac Mountain. The stops are too brief for anything other than a quick walk-through to take some photos, but that was enough for my sight-seeing family. The park is huge so most of the time is spent driving and taking in the occasional breathtaking views along the coastline. The first time I visited this park (a much more thorough and extensive, multi-day trip where we camped inside the park and hiked all the most difficult trails that rewarded us with the most stunning views), the majesty of the landscape continuously awed me. There were fewer such moments on the tour due to the route and time crunch, but we were entertained by the excellent narration and stories about the park and the town by our driver Jim, a very knowledgeable local who's quippy to boot. They also offer a 4-hour tour that includes an extra site (Sieur de Monts Spring), with 30-minute stops at each location instead of 15, and is for age 12+ only. If you want to see Acadia park but are limited on time, don't have a car, don't want to deal with the logistics of planning a park itinerary, are mobility-challenged or don't wish to walk/hike too much, or simply like to enjoy the ride and casually explore the park while listening to some informative stories, I heartily recommend Oli's Trolley for your excursion! They're very professional and well run. Be sure to also check out their excellent gift shop nearby (1 West St.) which has a cute and well-curated selection of merchandise that are reasonably priced. Tickets often sell out early - especially during high tourist season and on days when cruise passengers land - so definitely book well in advance!

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    The unexpected cancellation of the ferry from Bar Harbor to Nova Scotia has cost us over $1,000 in…read moreadditional expenses, as we had to hire a driver in the middle of the night to get to Saint John, New Brunswick. The company has offered no compensation or alternative solution to help us reach Nova Scotia, despite the fact that we have multiple Airbnbs booked, transportation arranged, and flights scheduled to depart from there. When I called to ask for assistance, the representative simply said, "Oh well, we run again on Thursday." Today is Monday--waiting three days is not an option for travelers on a tight schedule. If you're counting on this ferry for transportation, be warned: you could be left completely stranded without any support.

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    Diver Ed's Dive-In Theater - boatcharters - Updated May 2026

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