Mystic — About 50 protesters, bearing signs that said "Empty the Tanks" and "In the Ocean, Not in a Tank" demonstrated near Mystic Aquarium on Saturday.

The group, part of the "Empty the Tanks" movement with protests in 20 countries, opposes the holding of whales and dolphins in captivity.

The movement began three years ago, but Saturday was the first time the demonstration was held in Mystic.

Cars drove by, some honking, as the protesters stood in two locations on Coogan Boulevard near the aquarium and a green by Olde Mistick Village.

The aquarium parking lot was full Saturday with visitors, as the aquarium also held exhibits as part of a World Oceans Day event.

Some protesters praised the aquarium for its rehabilitation of other marine animals and its research on wild beluga whales in Alaska. But they said they opposed holding the whales in captivity.

"What we are concerned about is those intelligent, smart and emotional animals being held in tiny tanks," said organizer Olga Pristin of the Sea Shepherd Cove Guardians.

Pristin said the campaign is to raise awareness about captive cetaceans, so people can then research the issues and come to their own conclusions. 

She said the protestors aren't demanding the immediate release of captive cetaceans into the ocean. She said some animals can be successfully rehabilitated and released, while some cannot. For those mammals unable to be released into the wild, they propose "sea pens" so the animals can live in more natural and spacious settings than aquarium tanks.

Pristin also stressed that the movement wants to stop any attempts to import wild, captured animals.

Nancy Burnett of Norwich, who, along with her sister, Sally Martin of Hartford, held signs along Coogan Boulevard, said she joined the protest because she finds it inhumane to hold whales in tanks.

"They take these wonderful mammals and force them into tiny enclosures where they can't do what they were born to do — which is to dive deep in the depths of the ocean — and have to instead live this horribly frustrating and cruel existence in a little glass enclosure," she said.

William Rossiter, the executive director for advocacy, science and grants for the Cetacean Society International, was among the protesters. He said the public is growing more and more aware of the challenges cetaceans face in captivity, with information available on the internet and in documentaries.

"Society is changing," he said. "Mystic Aquarium has time to change and adapt to the new business model society is demanding."

Anne Flaherty, 16, of Wayland, Mass., had approached an Empty the Tanks organizer to hold a demonstration in Mystic.

"I've been against cetacean captivity for a long time, and I really wanted to actively do something about it," she said. She said her concern began after watching the documentary "Blackfish," which is about killer whales at Seaworld, and researching the issue.

Mystic Aquarium issued an official statement earlier this week in response to the planned protest: "Our staff dedicates themselves tirelessly to the care and well-being of the beluga whales and all the animals at Mystic Aquarium. We understand and appreciate that there are different views on animals in human care. While we respect those opinions, we stand by the efforts of our staff and researchers, who work for the betterment and sustainability of the entire ocean planet including its inhabitants. At Mystic Aquarium we have a team of biologists and veterinarians engaged in pure and applied research. A team whose work is republished and cited. With differing views, we are thankful that the best interest of whales is central to both sides."

As visitors walked around the aquarium on Saturday, Paul Anderson, a research scientist at Mystic Aquarium, said the mission of aquariums is to educate visitors about marine environments, so they can then become advocates for ocean conservation.

“One of the best ways to do that is to connect their hearts with the animals in the ocean that they might not otherwise ever have the opportunity to experience in their lives,” he said.

He said it’s very important for the aquarium to maintain not only the optimal physical health of its three beluga whales through proper nutrition and exemplary veterinary care, but also their behavioral health by engaging them in behavior-enrichment training exercises several times a day.

The beluga whales' exhibit at the aquarium consists of three connected pools with a capacity of more than 750,000 gallons of water, according to the aquarium's website.

Dale Wolbrink, the aquarium's director of public relations, said the aquarium is accredited and follows high standards for cetacean care.

Anderson said the whales are important for the aquarium’s research, both physiological and behavioral. He said the whales at the aquarium are used as a healthy baseline to compare against whales threatened by manmade impacts, such as oil and gas drilling in the Cook Inlet in Alaska, or ocean noise from shipping.

k.drelich@theday.com

Twitter: @KimberlyDrelich