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I’m Chrissy, one of the pinniped trainers at Mystic Aquarium. In my
role, I spend a lot of time training and caring for the many seals
and sea lions here.
All across
our campus, you can see signs of spring in bloom: trees and flowers
showing more color, box turtles perching on logs in the marsh and
many of the animals are starting to trim down, all in preparation
for the summer ahead. I’m excited to witness all that is coming
within the next few months!
Before
starting here, I worked at an aquarium in Alaska and witnessed the
ways a rapidly changing Arctic posed concerns to the welfare of
marine mammals in natural environments. Through our new Wild
Arctic exhibit (which opens this weekend!), we hope to help
establish a deeper connection with our visitors to this remote
environment and its engaging inhabitants. In using augmented
reality in this exhibit, our goal is to inspire change and action
that seeks to protect this – and all – threatened environments.
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While
visitors engage with the AR technology of the Wild
Arctic, our animal care team, scientists and
veterinarians are actively engaged in pure and applied
researched aimed at conserving Arctic species. This work
can and will directly impact the Arctic ecosystem and its
inhabitants like beluga whales, polar bears, walruses and
others.
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And through our Summer Camp programming,
young explorers, animal and nature lovers and budding marine
biologists can discover ways they, too, can contribute to a better
future. Children ages 3 to 16 have the opportunity to learn about
animals, ecosystems, conservation, marine-based STEM and so much more.
Actually, this sounds great – can I sign up for camp?
Plus, I am so excited to share that we are expecting!
Pearl, one of our resident harbor seals, is pregnant and due to
deliver sometime this summer. Stay tuned to our social channels to
follow her pregnancy.
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