The groups were split up and escorted to the blinds. Basically you were told to stay inside until told you could come out. They didn't want anyone wandering around, scaring off any puffins, or possibly endangering tern chicks wandering about. Time in the blinds was limited to sea conditions and when the captain ruled it was time to go. Generally this was anywhere from 1/2 hour to a couple of hours. Totally unpredictable from day to day. Once in the blind, you opened one of the small wooden slots to view this...

Puffins and Auks were everywhere, some right outside the blind a few feet away. Some staring you right in the face. Inside the blind, you could tell they were vaguely aware of your presence, but not viewed as threatening. Multiple squawks filled the air combined with the patter of puffin feet landing and walking on the roof of the blind. It quickly became evident that you had to compose some type of order out of the chaos in front of you.

Machias is home to one of the few breeding colonies off the coast of Maine in the Bay of Fundy, but special in that the colony formed here naturally. In the 1800s, nearly all puffins were wiped out from this area due to overhunting. It is reported that only 4 puffins were left in the United States by 1908. After puffin hunting was outlawed, the colonies began to recover, with Machias being one of the most prolific. About 3500 breeding pairs were recorded in 1998, along with about 2000 pairs of Arctic Terns, an 700 pairs of razorbills. For the other islands, the colonies had to be reintroduced.

The puffins and razorbills are on the island from late May through August, primarily for breeding, where one pair lays only 1 egg per year. Otherwise, they spend the rest of the year at sea.