Mystic Aquarium

When we first moved to Connecticut we heard great things about the Mystic Aquarium and so decided to take a visit. We decided to buy season tickets so that we could go year round; especially when it's too cold to play outside. I end up taking the kids about once every couple of weeks because they enjoy it so much and we're also trying to kill time until Jeremy gets back. It's so much easier to go now that Corinne can walk on her own--that's right, she's walking and standing all by herself now. Will miracles never cease? Here they are sitting in front of the kelp exhibit with a shark in the background.
Corinne was definitely taking advantage of having a tank right at her eye level of the puffer fish.

This aquarium is very hands-on and has a nice petting tank for sting rays. The kids loved trying to touch them. The sting rays actually came up to their hands once so they could touch them. The kids were ecstatic. I think usually Corinne would be afraid of this stuff, but because Matthew is doing it then it's okay. She always wants to do what he's doing.

Another petting tank inside where you can hold starfish (Matthew's favorite), hermit crabs, spider crabs, and even horseshoe crabs.

Once again, Corinne has to be where Matthew is.

They also have an exhibit where you can feed the birds. You pay $2 and they give you a stick with some birdseed on it and the birds come and land on you to eat. Corinne tried so hard to get the birds to eat from hers, but they never landed on her except once and then it was only for a second and I happened to miss the photo-op.

Corinne trying to entice the birds, but they kept flying away.

Matthew was so excited to finally have a bird on his stick that he wasn't quite sure what to do. Luckily, he stayed very still so that the bird stayed for awhile. By the time we left this exhibit we all had some little bird decorations on us. (I mean bird poop!)

Here's Matthew checking out a beluga whale. The kids loved watching this one for awhile.