Mystic Aquarium & Institute for Exploration
Encyclopedia
The Mystic Aquarium & Institute for Exploration is an aquarium
and oceanography
institute in Mystic, Connecticut
. The Aquarium is one of only four U.S. facilities nation where people can see Steller sea lions and has one of the largest outdoor Beluga Whale exhibits in the United States. It is also among the first aquariums to attempt artificial insemination
on a Beluga Whale. Some other exhibits include a ray and shark touch pool, a penguin exhibit, and a jelly gallery.
The Institute for Exploration features maps, diagrams, and models from Dr. Robert Ballard
's explorations of the Black Sea
and of the wreck of the RMS Titanic. It is home to the Nautilus Live Theater where guests learn more about Dr. Ballard's more recent explorations and can ask questions directly to crew members on the ship when it is at sea.
The aquarium is a member of the Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks and Aquariums (AMMPA) and is an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums
(AZA).
as the site for the aquarium because of the area's scenic shoreline and rich maritime history. In 1999, the aquarium and Ballard's Institute for Exploration combined to form a $52 million dollar expansion. The expansion featured the Arctic Coast, which is a 1 acres (4,046.9 m²) outdoor beluga whale display, containing 750000 gallons (2,839.1 m³) of water. There has also been an additional exhibit added to the Challenge of the Deep exhibit; where Dr. Robert Ballard's explorations are on display. The XD Theater is also running year round at the aquarium featuring four different 3-D movies as well as having a moving theater for a real ride! The movies include "Deep Sea 3-D" as well as Sea Scare and a Roller coaster movie.
s, a Pacific Harbor Seal, a large colony of African Black-footed Penguins, sea stars, Unicorn Fish
, Blue Tang
, Octopus
, Leopard Shark
, bamboo sharks, Sheepshead Fish
, Horn Shark
s, sea turtles, clownfish
and other oceanic creatures.
Within the aquarium, there are encounter programs that are also offered for an additional fee. The penguin encounter programs allow you to get up close and personal with one of the African Penguins that are housed there as well as a beluga whale encounter where you are able to touch and stand in the water with a whale. Also, there is a ray touch pool where you are able to feed (offered in the summer) and touch the sting rays.
Inuk, a male beluga whale at the aquarium, died on February 20, 2010.
Between September 2008 and May 2009, the aquarium hosted several marine mammals from the Shedd Aquarium
while that institution was undergoing a massive renovation to its marine mammal habitat.
National Geographic Society
's Crittercam
exhibit is currently at the aquarium as of Feb 2011.
Aquarium
An aquarium is a vivarium consisting of at least one transparent side in which water-dwelling plants or animals are kept. Fishkeepers use aquaria to keep fish, invertebrates, amphibians, marine mammals, turtles, and aquatic plants...
and oceanography
Oceanography
Oceanography , also called oceanology or marine science, is the branch of Earth science that studies the ocean...
institute in Mystic, Connecticut
Mystic, Connecticut
Mystic is a village and census-designated place in New London County, Connecticut, in the United States. The population was 4,001 at the 2000 census. A historic locality, Mystic has no independent government because it is not a legally recognized municipality in the state of Connecticut...
. The Aquarium is one of only four U.S. facilities nation where people can see Steller sea lions and has one of the largest outdoor Beluga Whale exhibits in the United States. It is also among the first aquariums to attempt artificial insemination
Artificial insemination
Artificial insemination, or AI, is the process by which sperm is placed into the reproductive tract of a female for the purpose of impregnating the female by using means other than sexual intercourse or natural insemination...
on a Beluga Whale. Some other exhibits include a ray and shark touch pool, a penguin exhibit, and a jelly gallery.
The Institute for Exploration features maps, diagrams, and models from Dr. Robert Ballard
Robert Ballard
Robert Duane Ballard is a former United States Navy officer and a professor of oceanography at the University of Rhode Island who is most noted for his work in underwater archaeology. He is most famous for the discoveries of the wrecks of the RMS Titanic in 1985, the battleship Bismarck in 1989,...
's explorations of the Black Sea
Black Sea
The Black Sea is bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects that sea to the Aegean...
and of the wreck of the RMS Titanic. It is home to the Nautilus Live Theater where guests learn more about Dr. Ballard's more recent explorations and can ask questions directly to crew members on the ship when it is at sea.
The aquarium is a member of the Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks and Aquariums (AMMPA) and is an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums
Association of Zoos and Aquariums
The Association of Zoos and Aquariums was founded in 1924 and is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement of zoos and public aquariums in the areas of conservation, education, science, and recreation.The AZA headquarters is located in Silver...
(AZA).
History
Mystic Aquarium was first opened in 1973 as a privately owned corporation. Industrialist, philanthropist, and principal shareholder Kelvin Smith chose Mystic, ConnecticutMystic, Connecticut
Mystic is a village and census-designated place in New London County, Connecticut, in the United States. The population was 4,001 at the 2000 census. A historic locality, Mystic has no independent government because it is not a legally recognized municipality in the state of Connecticut...
as the site for the aquarium because of the area's scenic shoreline and rich maritime history. In 1999, the aquarium and Ballard's Institute for Exploration combined to form a $52 million dollar expansion. The expansion featured the Arctic Coast, which is a 1 acres (4,046.9 m²) outdoor beluga whale display, containing 750000 gallons (2,839.1 m³) of water. There has also been an additional exhibit added to the Challenge of the Deep exhibit; where Dr. Robert Ballard's explorations are on display. The XD Theater is also running year round at the aquarium featuring four different 3-D movies as well as having a moving theater for a real ride! The movies include "Deep Sea 3-D" as well as Sea Scare and a Roller coaster movie.
Animals
Mystic Aquarium is the home of four beluga whales, five Steller sea lions, six California Sea LionCalifornia Sea Lion
The California sea lion is a coastal sea lion of western North America. Their numbers are abundant , and the population continues to expand about 5% annually. They are quite intelligent and can adapt to man-made environments...
s, a Pacific Harbor Seal, a large colony of African Black-footed Penguins, sea stars, Unicorn Fish
Unicorn fish
Unicorn fish may refer to:* Fishes in the genus Naso, family Acanthuridae* The unicorn crestfish, Eumecichthys fiski, family Lophotidae* The unicorn grenadier Caelorinchus productus, family Macrouridae...
, Blue Tang
Blue tang
Paracanthurus hepatus is a species of Indo-Pacific surgeonfish. A popular fish in marine aquaria, it is the only member of the genus Paracanthurus...
, Octopus
Octopus
The octopus is a cephalopod mollusc of the order Octopoda. Octopuses have two eyes and four pairs of arms, and like other cephalopods they are bilaterally symmetric. An octopus has a hard beak, with its mouth at the center point of the arms...
, Leopard Shark
Leopard shark
The leopard shark is a species of houndshark, family Triakidae, found along the Pacific coast of North America from the U.S. state of Oregon to Mazatlán in Mexico...
, bamboo sharks, Sheepshead Fish
Sheepshead (fish)
The sheepshead, Archosargus probatocephalus, is a marine fish that grows to 30 in , but commonly reaches 10 to 20 in. It is deep and compressed in body shape, with 5 to 6 dark bars on the side of the body over a gray background. It has sharp dorsal spines. Its diet consists of oysters, clams, and...
, Horn Shark
Horn shark
The horn shark is a species of bullhead shark, family Heterodontidae. It is endemic to the coastal waters off the western coast of North America, from California to the Gulf of California. Young sharks are segregated spatially from the adults, with the former preferring deeper sandy flats and the...
s, sea turtles, clownfish
Clownfish
Clownfish or anemonefish are fishes from the subfamily Amphiprioninae in the family Pomacentridae. Twenty-eight species are recognized, one in the genus Premnas, while the remaining are in the genus Amphiprion. In the wild they all form symbiotic mutualisms with sea anemones...
and other oceanic creatures.
Within the aquarium, there are encounter programs that are also offered for an additional fee. The penguin encounter programs allow you to get up close and personal with one of the African Penguins that are housed there as well as a beluga whale encounter where you are able to touch and stand in the water with a whale. Also, there is a ray touch pool where you are able to feed (offered in the summer) and touch the sting rays.
Between September 2008 and May 2009, the aquarium hosted several marine mammals from the Shedd Aquarium
Shedd Aquarium
The John G. Shedd Aquarium is an indoor public aquarium in Chicago, Illinois in the United States that opened on May 30, 1930. The aquarium contains over 25,000 fish, and was for some time the largest indoor aquarium in the world with of water. The Shedd Aquarium was the first inland aquarium with...
while that institution was undergoing a massive renovation to its marine mammal habitat.
National Geographic Society
National Geographic Society
The National Geographic Society , headquartered in Washington, D.C. in the United States, is one of the largest non-profit scientific and educational institutions in the world. Its interests include geography, archaeology and natural science, the promotion of environmental and historical...
's Crittercam
Crittercam
Crittercam is a small package of instruments including a camera that can be attached to a wild animal to study its behaviour in the wild. Crittercam was invented by National Geographic marine biologist Greg Marshall in 1986. Since then it has been employed in studies on over 40 marine and...
exhibit is currently at the aquarium as of Feb 2011.