Maine Lobster Hatchery - Mt. Desert Oceanarium - Bar Harbor, ME
Posted by: 
NorStar
N 44° 25.238 W 068° 20.984
19T E 551765 N 4918798
The Mt. Desert Oceanarium is dedicated to telling the story of lobsters and claims to have the nation's only lobster hatchery.
Waymark Code: WMPQGA
Location: Maine, United States
Date Posted: 10/07/2015
Views: 9
On Mt. Desert Island, on the north side of the island, is the Mt. Desert Oceanarium.
The Oceanarium is located on the north side of Maine Route 3, about a mile from the bridge to the island. There is a sign by the road, and a gravel pull off where the driveway comes off and leads to a parking lot.
The first building has the gift shop where you purchase your tickets for the tour. There are a couple options - the lobster hatchery is an option.
The room that contains the lobster hatchery looks like 'Frankenstein's Laboratory.' Dominating the room are rows of translucent, cylindrical tanks that have water quickly moving about within them. In another part of the room are sinks with short PVC tubes with water in them.
Our group sat in the designated area, and the attendant talked about raising lobsters. There talk was at least 15 minutes long, including a view of a small lobster under a microscope. They hatch the lobsters and keep them for about 8 weeks before putting them on a boat and releasing them into the bay.
Owners David and Audrey Mills own the Oceanarium and devote time to operating the museum and raising lobsters. It offers internships - a few interns were there while we were there.
Hours:
Open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily except Sunday mid-May to late October.
Admission:
$15 (2015) per person for our package, which included the discovery tank, lobster fishing talk with a lobsterman, and the lobster hatchery.
Type of Facility: Other (specify in description)
Management Agency: Private/Commercial
Relevant Web Site: [Web Link]
Has a Vistor Center: yes
Offers Tours: yes
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