Play Outdoors with the AMC This Winter

Looking forward to seeing an ockie (octopus) in the bommie (coral head)? Then Heron Island, on the Great Barrier’s southern reef, is the place for you, mate. You might also dive with giant sea turtles that come ashore to lay their eggs between late October and March, or with humpback whales that skirt the island from June through October. Heron Island Resort, the island’s lone accommodation, has room for 250 nature lovers. The Point Suites offer unobstructed views of the harbor and bay. Part resort, part wildlife sanctuary, the island is large enough for couples to follow their own trail to a nesting spot among the white herons.
Fish It
If you think ice fishing means dangling a line on some remote pond while extremities turn numb and lips go blue, you’re in for a big surprise. These days, winter anglers can sit in a heated shanty and watch Super Bowl while checking their lines for any nibbles. February and the March are the two best months for hooking landlocked salmon, northern pike, lake trout and bass on Lake Champlain. Rent a shanty from Captain Gill Gagner for $90 a day or he’ll guide you all day for $200, including all fishing gear.
Kite It
Head to Cape Cod in summer and you’ll no doubt find kitesurfers catching air and zipping across the ocean. Now with the help of a good wind, you can glide on iced-over lakes and snow-covered meadows. Called snowkiting, the sport has its annual powwow, Kitestorm, on February 26th and 27th on Lake Champlain. Come with skis or snowboard, boots, and a helmet, and instructors will attach you to a kite and get you started. If you can’t make it to Burlington over those dates, contact Rachael Miller, owner of Stormboarding, for lessons and equipment.
Coast It
Take cross-country skiing and merge it with ice skating and you get the new phenomenon sweeping across the wild rivers and lakes of New England, nordic skating. Equipped with boots that are more comfortable than typical figure or hockey skates, and blades that glide atop the ice much like a speed skater, this Scandinavian craze lets skaters travel great distances at a much faster speed than cross-country skiing. Try the sport in the town of North Hero on Lake Champlain February 6th or at the Lake Morey Resort in Fairlee, Vermont, on Sunday mornings in February.
While Maine has long been revered for its juicy lobster, local fishermen and chefs are vying for a new set of seafood to bask in the culinary spotlight. Over the past year, the Gulf of Maine Research Institute has been working closely with some of the region’s top fishermen and chefs to identify fish and shellfish species that thrive in the Atlantic waters but have been underutilized in northeastern US cuisine. By creating demand for these sustainable species, like northern shrimp, Atlantic mackerel, whiting, Atlantic pollock and red fish, fishermen hope to preserve the seafood that has historically been overfished, such as flounder, cod and halibut. Chefs from coastal Maine’s finest restaurants are now showing the world just how tasty these sustainable species can be. For example, Chef Mitchell Kaldrovich from Sea Glass restaurant at Inn by the Sea in Cape Elizabeth pan-sears whiting, which is less flaky than cod so it develops a nicer crust when seared. Now hunters are getting in on the sustainable movement. Maine Fish and Wildlife recently held a meeting with Registered Maine Guides to look at alternative species found in the Maine interior that might attract hunters.