Our Memorable Day at the Magnificent Mystic Aquarium, PLUS Q and A!
By Waverly W., 9 years old, and Evan and Chris L., 12 years old
The Mom here! We’ve been taking day trips to Mystic for years now but have never actually visited Mystic Aquarium…not sure why it’s taken so long but now that we’ve visited, I’m so glad we did! There is so much to see and experience both inside and outside its walls – way more than the kids or I had ever imagined. Read on to see what the kids thought…and then take your own little ‘school of fish’ there to experience it for yourself!
Waverly here! When you think of an aquarium, you think of fish. Right? Well, do you also think about birds, marshes, and deserts? Me neither! But guess what? Mystic Aquarium has it all! Plus a Seal Rescue Clinic! We started by seeing the beautiful beluga whales gliding around in their outdoor pool (they have the largest outdoor beluga whale exhibit in the United States!)
If you look at our picture above you can see one floating by! We loved watching them – they looked so happy and friendly! If you stand by the glass you can see them up close and it actually looks like they’re smiling! I never saw one before…
Then we saw the harbor seals – in the sun, their wet skin had cool colors. They were out hanging around in the sun just like any one of us would do on a beautiful day! We learned that the aquarium actually rescues seals, takes care of them and gets them healthy again, and when they are ready, they send them back “home” into the ocean. It’s good to know that there is a place like this.
It’s Chris, and I liked the penguins that we saw. At the Penguin Pavillion, you can see penguins both above and below the water, both inside and outside! There were so many penguins having fun on that beautiful day. I learned that there are not so many penguins anymore, and that made me sad. They are such cool animals and we have to start thinking about how to save them!
Evan here! We then walked over the marsh on the Marsh Trek. When we looked closely, we could see lots of little animals jumping around. There were frogs, turtles and ducks – some of them blended in with the leaves so well that you could barely see them. The flowers were really pretty, too.
Back to Wave! The next animals we saw might surprise you…they sure surprised us! I’m talking about…BIRDS! Yes, birds at the aquarium! I never expected that. They have a really cool exhibit called Birds of the Outback where you get really, really up close with lots and lots of Parrots, Budgies, Cockatiels and Parakeets! And I mean REALLY up close! You can even feed them yourself!
This was a really fun part of our visit! After going there, you may want to get yourself a pet parrot, like I did – but you also learn some things about them at the exhibit…they are very difficult pets. They need LOTS of attention and cost LOTS of money to keep them happy and healthy. Some of the parrots being sold were actually captured and many wild parrots are endangered…if you buy one you have to make sure that didn’t happen! You should probably just visit the aquarium and hang out with them there if you’re not totally ready to get one for yourself!
After the birds, we saw so many cool fish and other sea animals as we wandered around. It was just beautiful and I felt like I was really under the sea. We loved being around all the peaceful animals – it is a whole different world and being there made me understand that people are not the only ones living in the world who matter!
Evan here again! You don’t only get to see all the amazing animals, but you get to TOUCH some of them, too! I never did anything like that! This little stingray felt just like gummy candies!
And look what Waverly found! It was so cool to get up close and personal with them. And don’t worry moms – they have hand sanitizer all over the place!
Back to Chris! We can’t really tell you guys every single thing we did and saw – it would take all day, and if you have all day to read this, then you should just go to the Mystic Aquarium to see for yourself! Also, it’s hard to pick a favorite part. I liked being inside, walking around and feeling like I was in a whole different underwater world and seeing how all the different fish and other sea animals spend their lives – they are so different from us! 
Evan here – I liked watching the sharks. I always just thought they were mean and scary, but after visiting the aquarium I now understand that sharks are actually necessary to the ecosystem and now 79 species of sharks are endangered! Here is a fact I learned there that is just as scary as sharks are: about 11,400 sharks are caught every HOUR. I am going to read more about this and try to convince people that sharks aren’t as bad as they seem. I am definitely always going to keep myself on the other side of the glass, though!
Back to Waverly! Here’s something surprising! Inside Exploration: Wild! you can learn all about other habitats…even the desert! Since I want to be a paleontologist when I grow up, I was so excited to dig around for a bit. I never expected that at an aquarium! That’s not all that will surprise you about Mystic Aquarium when you go. There’s so much we didn’t tell you about. Let’s just say there’s many more “weird and wonderful” things there that you can (and should) discover for yourself.
Until I went to Mystic Aquarium, I never really thought about all the different types of animals there are in the water, and I never thought about how some of them are actually in danger, and I never thought anything good about sharks! Mystic aquarium changed my mind about that.
After visiting, we sure had lots of questions, and we were lucky enough to be able to send them to Dale Wolbrink, Director of Public Relations for the aquarium. He got us all the answers by asking all the different staff members that work there – maybe you’ll find answers to some questions you might have about Mystic Aquarium, so here you go! Thank you, Dale and everyone who gave us the answers — now we know the plural of Octopus!! Read on for the answer. It might surprise you!
HOW MANY BELUGA WHALES ARE AT THE AQUARIUM?
There are two (2) beluga whales at Mystic Aquarium. Kela came to us from Canada in 1985. Juno was born at Marineland Canada in 2002. It is an honor and a privilege for us to care for Kela and Juno, who are important ambassadors for their species!
HOW ARE THEY FED AND WHAT ARE THEY FED?
Beluga whales are what we call opportunistic feeders, which means they will feed whenever they come across a school of fish. They even swallow the fish whole! The beluga whales here at Mystic Aquarium are fed at different times throughout the day and by different trainers! We can feed them from anywhere out on our Arctic coast exhibit. They’re fed restaurant -quality fish which includes capelin, herring, sardines, anchovies and even squid!
Info provided by Laurie Macha- Mystic Aquarium’s Curator of Marine Mammals and Birds
WHERE DID YOU GET ALL THE BIRDS FOR BIRDS OF THE OUTBACK?
Birds of the Outback feature four (4) different species of parrots that are native to Australia including Budgerigars, Cockatiels, Superb or Barraband Parrot and the Princess of Wales Parrot. In addition, there are two (2) Laughing Kookaburras. This traveling exhibit is provided by our partners at Living Exhibits. They will travel to a facility at a warmer climate shortly after Labor.
Info provided by Erin Yeakle of Living Exhibits
HOW MANY BIRDS ARE IN THERE?
We have around 400 birds in our interactive exhibit, Birds of the Outback.
Info provided by Erin Yeakle of Living Exhibits
WHAT FILTRATION SYSTEM IS USED FOR THE FISH?
It really depends on the type of fish and other animals that live within the exhibit. Some require sand filters-similar to a backyard swimming pool while others require biotowers – a tube full of bioballs that allow good bacteria to grow. The good bacteria takes the fish waste and turns it into less harmful ions for the animals. (There are others but these are some of the major ones).
Info provided by Dawn Brown-Manager of Water Quality and Life Support Systems- Mystic Aquarium
DO FISH GET VIOLENT SOMETIMES?
Violent may not be the right word! Fish (and any animal) can become aggressive when they feel threatened, when they are defending their territory, when they are competing for a mate, or if they are defending a nest/young.
Info provided by William Hana, Curator of Fish & Invertebrates, Mystic Aquarium
WHERE DO YOU GET YOUR STOCK OF FISH?
We obtain our fish from various suppliers (licensed and regulated sellers who get fish from collectors and ship them around the world), private donations, surpluses from other institutions (including accredited public aquariums or research facilities), and independent collectors. We also have some animals, like our bamboo sharks and our jellies, that we breed and raise on site.
Info provided by William Hana, Curator of Fish & Invertebrates, Mystic Aquarium
WHAT DO YOU THINK PEOPLE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT SHARKS TO HELP THEM UNDERSTAND THEM?
The most important thing to know about sharks is how critical they are to the ocean ecosystem. Food webs and ecosystems are incredibly complex and removing one piece can have unforeseeable consequences. As top predators, sharks help keep this balance.
Info provided by William Hana, Curator of Fish & Invertebrates, Mystic Aquarium
WHAT IS THE PLURAL OF OCTOPUS?
Believe it or not…octopuses! (Surprise!)
WHAT DO YOU THINK WOULD SURPRISE PEOPLE ABOUT THE AQUARIUM?
Answers below are provided by a variety of staff from the Aquarium.
Most people are surprised by how active and involved this work can be each day. Aquarists, in particular, have to know a little of everything- animal behavior, nutrition, chemistry, plumbing, physics. And it takes a lot of elbow grease. Mystic aquarium, as a research institution, is involved in many aspects of scientific studies to help protect our ocean planet. –William Hana
I think people would be surprised that they can see so many different types of animals here at the aquarium. You would have to travel pretty far to see many of the animals anywhere else. For example, there are only two aquariums in the United States that house Steller sea lions; Mystic Aquarium and the Alaska Sea Life Center. People are able to see animals ranging from beluga whales to exotic birds to tropical fish and even all kinds of reptiles! –Laurie Macha
People would be surprised by the number of staff and departments that work at the aquarium. I often run into guests and even family members that don’t think about us still having a Marketing, Facilities, IT/AV departments. –Laurie Macha
That all of the animals receive restaurant quality fish, a huge variety of types(10) and that we feed approx. 500 lbs. of fish each day to the marine mammals and penguins. –Laurie Macha
How much goes on behind the scenes. Between veterinary care (the large animals get visits from the dentist!) animal husbandry (animals are trained to help with medical procedures and to retrieve foreign objects that may end up in their exhibit), water quality (we are here 365 days a year testing the water to make sure everything is safe for our animals) and Life Support Operators (someone has to keep all the mechanical stuff operating) most people have no idea how much goes in behind the scenes.– Dawn Brown
WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE COOLEST ANIMAL AT THE AQUARIUM AND WHY?
Answers below are provided by a variety of staff from the Aquarium.
We care for many species of animals at Mystic Aquarium. Some of the notable charismatic animals include sharks, stingrays, octopus, crabs, corals and various reptiles/amphibians. We all have different reason why we like them. –William Hana
All of them!! I love animals!! That is why I pursued this career. They all have unique qualities as species but also individuals. –Laurie Macha
There are so many it’s difficult to pick just one. The fur seals are probably my favorite mammal. They have such fun vocalizations and the ones I have worked with have awesome personalities. As for fish and invertebrates it’s probably the jellies. Have you ever watched a jelly eat? It’s very cool to see the food make its way up the tentacles. They are also incredibly mesmerizing to watch swim through the water column. –Dawn Brown
HOW MANY PEOPLE WORK AT THE AQUARIUM AND WHAT ARE SOME OF THE UNUSUAL JOBS THAT PEOPLE HAVE THERE?
On average we have 300 employees and over 700 volunteers. We have a great deal of diversity in our volunteers and employees. People don’t always realize how many different careers are offered in Aquariums. We have scientists, educators, marketing professionals, plumbers, chefs, housekeepers, trainers and Information Technology to name just a few. We have a few people who work in our water quality lab who make sure that all of the water is safe for our animals. Another unusual job is our Exhibits Director position. He designs and creates all of our exhibits. A lot of people think being an Animal Trainer is a really cool job. It is but what most people don’t understand is a lot of their time is spent cutting fish and cleaning up the animal poop!
Info provided by Kateri Wheeler-Director of Human Resources
IF SOMEONE WANTED TO WORK THERE, WHAT DO YOU THINK ARE A COUPLE OF QUALITIES THEY SHOULD HAVE?
Answers below are provided by a variety of staff from the Aquarium.
It takes commitment and perseverance to become successful in this field. Problem-solving, especially in a crisis, is a great skill to have. Working with fish is challenging because they operate in a three-dimensional space and it is sometimes hard for terrestrial animals to think that way. –William Hana
To work here people need to be passionate. Passionate about what they do and/or passionate about protecting our creatures and our oceans. Mostly we are a team that likes to have FUN!-Kateri Wheeler
Some good qualities to have would be hard working, patient, fast learner, and outgoing. Also to be willing to work outside in all types of weather and sometimes having to get dirty can help as well! Persistence, Patience, ability to work in a team and ability to multi-task.-Laurie Macha
Flexibility, when working with animals you never know what could happen! You need to be able to adjust and adapt to whatever comes your way. You should also be able to work well with others. One of the most important aspects of our job is working with other departments so teamwork is critical!-Dawn Brown
HOW IS VISITING THE AQUARIUM DIFFERENT IN THE WINTER THAN IN THE SUMMER?
Quite honestly…just the temperature! Okay, and maybe the crowds! Occasionally during particularly cold weather, our African penguins will be sheltered off exhibit; however, even in those times several penguins are visible in our Penguin Discovery Zone. We host a number of events during the winter months like Trainer Days, Family Game Days and more. Mystic Aquarium is proud to host the California Sea Lion shows daily in the Foxwoods Marine Theater. The 4D and Nat Geo Theaters operate year-round as well.
The Mom here! Wow, what interesting and thoughtful answers and what a great day trip that was …and there’s so much more we didn’t tell you about! Let’s just say there’s many more “weird and wonderful” things at Mystic Aquarium that you can (and should) discover for yourself. If you want to spend the day looking at amazing animals of the sea, and also learn a lot about them, swim on over there for more than you can imagine.
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