Don’t want to focus on just one theme? The Aquarium Tour is the perfect program for you! With a personal tour guide leading the program, we’ll bring the Aquarium habitats (from Whales to Penguins to Sharks to Reptile) right into your classroom!

Broadcasting directly from Mystic Aquarium’s Roger Tory Peterson Penguin Pavilion, students will only learn about these amazing endangered species but also see our African penguins up close and personal!

A special training session available Monday – Friday at 1:00pm

Traveling to visit the Aquarium’s Pacific Northwest exhibit, students will learn all about pinnipeds – including the difference between seals and sea lions and which species you can find along the Atlantic coastline.

A special feeding and training session available Monday – Friday at 10:30am

Whether your class is studying ocean pollution, marine animal rescue, shark conservation or marine biology careers, we have just the expert to answer all your questions. This program will include a brief topic overview followed by a question and answer session with the specified topic expert.

Through interactive activities, students discover the many adaptations these charismatic marine mammals have for survival in their ocean habitat. 

Please Note: Weather permitting, this program is conducted at the Arctic Coast habitat, home to the beluga whales.

A special feeding and training session with a beluga whale is available Monday – Friday at 11:00am

Sharks are in trouble. Of the roughly 375 shark species, 66 are threatened or endangered, mostly due to overhunting and the effects of pollution. In this class, students will learn about the fascinating shark species, the challenges they must overcome for survival, and the conservation efforts underway to protect them.

What happens when someone finds a seal in distress on the beach? That is when Mystic Aquarium and its Animal Rescue Team jump into action. Learn how we diagnose what is wrong with an animal and how we go about treating a wild animal with the goal of releasing it back into the wild.

Did you know that 97% of all animals on earth don’t have a backbone? In this program, students become scientists to investigate and classify live marine invertebrates into groups based upon their common characteristics. Some animals may look completely different but are classified together because of their unique adaptations. This class promotes well both their observation and critical thinking skills. Middle school and high school program add-ons can include a squid dissection to enhance this program.

Students will explore a fascinating community found beneath the waves! They will enjoy participating in an interactive presentation to discover how many sea creatures work together to be terrific neighbors, while others have interesting adaptations keeping them at the top of the food chain.

Students may know about sharks, a predator that sits at the top of the ocean food chain. But how many know about plankton, the often-microscopic plants and animals that make up the base of the food chain? Both groups are critical for life in the ocean and would not exist if it weren’t for the other. In this class, students will explore the ocean’s food web’s links and discover who eats whom, how they do it, and why.

Participants will discover how coastal and non-coastal communities are interconnected through the Connecticut River and Long Island Sound watershed regions. Beginning with a visit to the Discover Long Island Sound exhibit to virtually interact with the watershed water table, students will learn how water flows through the watershed and can transport nutrients as well as pollutants.

A visit to the frogs! exhibit will highlight the important role some species play in their habitat. As an indicator species, a wetland’s amphibian population can be used to predict the health of the ecosystem – these wetland areas can include the freshwater marshes, vernal pools, and ponds throughout the Long Island Sound watershed.