Boating in Portland

Various Portland-based skippers offer whale-, dolphin-, and seal-watching cruises; excursions to lighthouses and islands; and fishing and lobstering trips. Board the ferry to see the nearby islands. Self-navigators can rent kayaks or canoes.

Casco Bay Lines. Casco Bay Lines operates the ferry service to the six bay islands with year-round populations. Summer offerings include music cruises, tours past lighthouses, and a trip to Bailey Island with a stopover for lunch. Maine State Pier, 56 Commercial St., Portland, ME, 04101. 207/774-7871. www.cascobaylines.com.

Lucky Catch Cruises. Lucky Catch Cruises sets out to sea in a real lobster boat so passengers can get the genuine experience, which includes hauling traps and the chance to purchase the catch. Long Wharf, 170 Commercial St., Portland, ME, 04101. 207/761-0941. www.luckycatch.com. Memorial Day weekend-late Oct.

Odyssey Whale Watch. Odyssey Whale Watch leads whale-watching and deep-sea-fishing trips, which run from mid-May to mid-October. Whale-watching trips are $48, 2.5-hour mackeral fishing trips $35, and six-hour cod fishing trips $69. Long Wharf, 170 Commercial St., Portland, ME, 04101. 207/775-0727. www.odysseywhalewatch.com.

Portland Discovery Land & Sea Tours. For tours of the harbor and Casco Bay, including a trip to Eagle Island and an up-close look at several lighthouses, try Portland Discovery Land & Sea Tours. Long Wharf, 170 Commercial St., Portland, ME, 04101. 207/774-0808. www.portlanddiscovery.com.

Portland Schooner Co.. Portland Schooner Co. offers daily windjammer cruises aboard the vintage schooners Bagheera and Wendameen. There are two-hour sails and also, on the Wendameen, overnight bed and breakfast trips. Maine State Pier, 56 Commercial St., Portland, ME, 04101. 207/766-2500. www.portlandschooner.com.