page_title: Mystic Aquarium
section_title: Animals
hierarchical_section_title: Mystic Aquarium / Animals
caption_attribution_description: Feeding of the penguins at en:Mystic Aquarium &amp; Institute for Exploration in en:Mystic, CT.
context_page_description: Mystic Aquarium is a marine aquarium in Mystic, Connecticut. It is one of only two U.S. facilities holding Steller sea lions, and it has the only beluga whales in New England. Special exhibits include a ray and shark touch pool, an African penguin exhibit, a jelly gallery, and the "Jurassic Giants" dinosaur exhibit. The aquarium is a member of the Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks and Aquariums and is an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. It is a subsidiary of the Sea Research Foundation, Inc.
context_section_description: Mystic Aquarium holds three beluga whales, four Steller sea lions, six Northern fur seals (two adult and four pups), six California sea lions, one Pacific and six Atlantic harbor seals, two Arctic spotted seals, a large colony of 31 African black-footed penguins, unicorn fish, blue tang, octopus, Japanese spider crabs, sand tiger sharks, bamboo sharks, sea turtle, clownfish, an extensive sea jelly exhibit, seasonal birds, and other oceanic creatures. It is among the first aquariums to attempt artificial insemination of a beluga whale as part of its conservation work, in order to increase breeding in human care.
  Within the aquarium, encounter programs are offered to visitors for an additional fee, who can get close to the African penguins, touch and stand in the water with beluga whales, touch bamboo sharks, and feed and touch sting rays in a special pool.
caption: Penguin feeding
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