Make a winning bid on an aquatic adventure for two at Mystic Aquarium!  The winning bidder and a guest will take part in the "Whales Up Close" program.      

For young children or those who don’t want to get waist-deep in the water during the Beluga Encounter program, Mystic Aquarium offers a way to have an up close visit with a beluga whale without getting wet. During the Whales Up Close program, witness a beluga feeding and learn more about these magnificent animals’ special behaviors with only a three-foot-high window separating you from the whale.

Whales Up Close begins in the Beluga Encounter Room where guests meet a whale trainer and learn about the belugas at the aquarium and in the wild, as well as training concepts and current conservation issues. From there, they are led to the Arctic Coast exhibit, home to New England’s only beluga whales and one of the largest beluga whale exhibits in North America. The program takes place on the exhibit’s "beach," an area typically only accessed by staff.

After coming face to face with a beluga whale, you will learn how the trainers interact with these graceful creatures and about their special behaviors, which are taught for regular close interaction that includes daily physical examinations, research, exercise, playtime and learning with the whales – all within arm’s reach. You may even get a chance to touch the whale!

The Whales Up Close program is approximately 45 minutes long and takes place daily May through October, with a limit of six people per session.