Mystic Aquarium - An Overview
Mystic is a small historic village in southeastern Connecticut, but its connection with the sea is much larger than its size suggests.
Located along the Mystic River, the place developed into an important shipbuilding centre. More than 600 vessels were built along the river over about 135 years from the late eighteenth century onwards. Even today, the maritime identity of Mystic is difficult to miss.
One of the best-known attractions here is Mystic Aquarium.
I visited the aquarium expecting the usual collection of fish tanks. It turned out to be much more varied. Beluga whales, sea lions, seals, penguins, sharks, octopuses, seahorses, colourful fish and numerous smaller marine creatures make the experience quite different from simply walking through a series of indoor aquariums.
Some exhibits are indoors, while others occupy large outdoor spaces. This combination allows us to move between small creatures that require close observation and marine mammals that immediately draw attention because of their size and behaviour.
How Mystic Aquarium Began
Mystic Aquarium opened in 1973.
It was originally established as a privately owned aquarium by industrialist Kelvin Smith. The institution later moved away from its commercial origins, and by 1979 it had become part of a nonprofit organisation devoted to marine research and education.
Another important change came in 1997.
The aquarium joined hands with the Institute for Exploration founded by oceanographer Dr. Robert Ballard, who is widely known for locating the wreck of the RMS Titanic. The institution then became known as Mystic Aquarium & Institute for Exploration.
A major expansion followed, including the development of Arctic Coast, the large outdoor habitat created for beluga whales.
This history is worth knowing because Mystic Aquarium gradually evolved from a conventional public aquarium into a place connected with marine conservation, animal rescue, research and ocean exploration.
The Beluga Whales
Among all the animals at Mystic Aquarium, the beluga whales are difficult to ignore.
Their almost completely white bodies make them immediately recognisable, but watching them move through the water is equally interesting. Their rounded forehead, known as the melon, and the absence of a dorsal fin distinguish them from many other whales.
Mystic Aquarium has had a long association with belugas, and its Arctic Coast habitat became one of the institution's best-known sections.
Standing close to a viewing area and watching such a large marine mammal pass just a short distance away creates a completely different experience from seeing one in a photograph or documentary.
More Than Whales
The aquarium is not only about belugas.
Sea lions and seals introduce us to another group of marine mammals, while penguins offer a completely different kind of behaviour to observe. Sharks, octopuses, seahorses, sea stars and colourful reef fish fill many of the smaller exhibits.
I also came across creatures that I had rarely stopped to observe elsewhere.
That is one of the advantages of an aquarium. The largest animals naturally attract us first, but some of the most interesting details can be found in the smaller tanks. The shape of a seahorse, the movement of an octopus or the unusual colours of tropical fish can keep us standing before a single enclosure much longer than expected.
My separate articles on Mystic Aquarium explore several of these exhibits individually. This article serves only as an introduction to the place.
Ocean Exploration
Mystic Aquarium also developed an interesting connection with deep-sea exploration through Dr. Robert Ballard and the Institute for Exploration.
Ballard and his teams used remotely operated vehicles, cameras and other technologies to study places far below the ocean surface. The partnership brought some of that world of deep-sea exploration into the aquarium's educational exhibits.
That adds another dimension to a visit.
The oceans are not simply habitats for the animals displayed in tanks. Large parts of them remain difficult for human beings to reach and study. The exploration side of Mystic Aquarium attempted to connect the animals we can see with the much larger underwater world that remains beyond ordinary human access.
Getting to Mystic
Mystic lies in southeastern Connecticut, between New London and the Rhode Island border.
It can be reached easily by road through Interstate 95. New London is only around ten miles away.
Mystic also has its own railway station. Amtrak's Northeast Regional service stops here, making the village accessible by train from cities along the Northeast Corridor, including New York and Boston.
Those arriving by air can use one of the airports serving Connecticut and the wider New England region and continue to Mystic by road or rail. Since transport schedules change, it is better to check the latest connections before planning the journey rather than depend on fixed travel times.
More to See Around Mystic
The aquarium need not be the only reason to visit Mystic.
The village has preserved much of its maritime identity. Mystic Seaport Museum explores shipbuilding, sailing and life around a nineteenth-century seaport, while historic vessels can also be seen there.
Downtown Mystic, the Mystic River, the old bascule bridge and the shops and restaurants around the village make it easy to spend considerably more time here than a visit to the aquarium alone would require.
Olde Mistick Village is another popular stop close to the aquarium, particularly for shopping and dining.
So, if you are travelling some distance to visit Mystic Aquarium, it makes sense to keep enough time to explore the surrounding area as well.
Exploring Mystic Aquarium
Mystic Aquarium is large enough that rushing through it would defeat the purpose.
Some exhibits need only a quick look. Others make us stop, return and watch the animals for several minutes. Marine mammals naturally attract the largest crowds, but I found that the smaller creatures deserve just as much attention.
This article is only an overview.
In my forthcoming articles, let me take you through the aquarium and look more closely at its different inhabitants and exhibits.
Happy travelling.
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