What Lobstering Looks Like in Bar Harbor

Apr 6

Set along the busy waterfront in Bar Harbor, Lulu Lobster Boat offers something that feels increasingly rare: a look at Maine’s most iconic industry that is both accessible and true to the source.

The two-hour trips are designed to be close, interactive, and rooted in real experience. “An intimate, authentic trip,” is how owners James and Andy Allen describe it, with a format that allows each captain and narrator to bring their own style to the water. Some are more technical, others more theatrical, but all are deeply familiar with the work.

That variety is intentional. “You could come back three or four times, and you’d get a different trip every time,” Andy explains.

While the boat itself is built for visibility and comfort, the goal is not to stage a performance. It’s to show how lobstering actually works. The crew hauls traps, explains what comes up, and passes lobsters and crabs around once they’re on deck. “We joke that we feed the lobsters,” James says. “We show them, and then we throw them back.”

That distinction matters. Lulu operates under a demonstration license, meaning the focus is on education, not harvesting. It’s a way to support the industry without competing with it, and to give visitors a clearer understanding of what goes into it.

Along the way, there’s almost always more to see—seals on the ledges, seabirds overhead, sometimes even a bald eagle.

But what stays with people tends to be the feeling of it. Not just watching, but being part of it.

Famous for:
Interactive, authentic lobster boat tours.

55 West St, Bar Harbor, ME / lululobsterboat.com