Mystic Aquarium facts for kids
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| Date opened | October 6, 1973 |
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| Location | Mystic, Connecticut, USA |
| Coordinates | 41°22′29″N 71°57′10″W / 41.3748°N 71.9529°W |
| No. of animals | 10,000 |
| Memberships | AZA, AMMPA |
Mystic Aquarium is an amazing marine aquarium located in Mystic, Connecticut. It's one of only two places in the U.S. where you can see Steller sea lions. It also has the only beluga whales in all of New England!
At the aquarium, you can explore many cool exhibits. There's a special pool where you can touch rays and sharks. You can also visit an exhibit for African penguins. Don't miss the beautiful jelly gallery. The aquarium is a proud member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). This means it meets high standards for animal care.
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A Look at Mystic Aquarium's History
Mystic Aquarium first opened its doors in 1973. A person named Kelvin Smith helped start it. He picked Mystic, Connecticut, because it's a beautiful area. It also has a lot of history about the sea.
In 1999, the aquarium grew much bigger. It added a special outdoor area called Arctic Coast. This area is for beluga whales. It holds a huge amount of water.
Exploring the Ocean's Depths
In 2012, Mystic Aquarium opened the Ocean Exploration Center. This center shows maps and models from Dr. Robert Ballard's trips. Dr. Ballard is famous for finding the wreck of the RMS Titanic.
You could also watch presentations in the Nautilus Live Theater. Here, you could talk live with crew members. They were on a ship called E/V Nautilus at sea. The aquarium also opened Titanic – 12,450 Feet Below. This exhibit honored 100 years since the Titanic sank. Dr. Ballard helped create this exhibit.
In 2014, the aquarium received a special award. It was the National Medal for Museum and Library Service. This award recognized its great work. Later, the Titanic exhibit changed. It became a new exhibit called Exploration: Wild in 2015. This new area focuses on saving animals and nature. It has interactive parts about deserts, rainforests, and oceans.
Amazing Animals at Mystic Aquarium
Mystic Aquarium is home to many incredible animals. You can see three beluga whales swimming around. There are also four Steller sea lions. Look for the six Northern fur seals, including some pups! You can also spot six California sea lions.
The aquarium has different types of harbor seals. There are Pacific and Atlantic harbor seals. You can also see two Arctic spotted seals. A large group of 31 African black-footed penguins lives here too.
More Ocean Creatures to Discover
Inside the aquarium, you'll find many other sea creatures. There are unicorn fish and blue tang. You can also see octopus and giant Japanese spider crabs. Don't miss the sand tiger sharks and bamboo sharks. The aquarium also has sea turtles and colorful clownfish. There's a huge exhibit just for sea jellies!
The aquarium works to protect animals. They are trying to help beluga whales have babies. This is part of their conservation efforts.
Get Closer to the Animals
For an extra fee, you can join special programs. These programs let you get very close to the animals. You can meet the African penguins. You can even touch and stand in the water with beluga whales! Visitors can also touch bamboo sharks. And you can feed and touch sting rays in a special pool.
