Our family is a huge fan of aquariums. North Carolina has some fantastic aquariums but unfortunately none of them are within a day trip of Charlotte. When our boys had a Tae Kwon Do tournament in Greenville, NC, we decided to head to the coast afterwards for a short weekend beach getaway. We spent some time in Wrightsville and Carolina Beach, but the highlight of the trip was our visit to the NC Aquarium at Fort Fisher in Kure Beach, NC.
The aquarium is broken down into three main sections: the Cape Fear Conservatory, the Marine Building Upper Level, and the Marine Building Lower Level. Each room focuses on different local ecosystems – from freshwater to saltwater. The aquarium flows naturally in one direction so that you hit each of the main rooms on your visit. When you exit the Marine Building Lower Level, you can continue on to their outdoor areas or conclude your visit and exit to the parking lot.
The Cape Fear Conservatory is the first room you enter and it focuses on the freshwater life that inhabits the area around the Cape Fear River. This is one large room, open and airy. The notable absence of giant, enclosed floor-to-ceiling tanks makes it feel less like an aquarium and more like a natural outdoor space. While there are some low-walled, open tanks housing fish like bass and catfish, there are also plenty of plants, reptiles, amphibians, birds, and raptors on display as well. Its most famous inhabitant is a rare albino alligator named Luna. But watch out for the hungry alligator near the entrance and whatever you do, don’t step on the plants!
Continuing through the aquarium, the Coastal Waters Gallery focuses on the marshlands that occupy much of the state’s coastline. The boys immediately headed to the touch tank for hands-on exploration of the some local critters like horseshoe crabs, sea urchins and sting rays.
At the end of this gallery is the upper level of the two story Cape Fear Shoals display. At 235,000 gallons, this is the aquarium’s largest display. It hosts a variety of sea life, including some 37 different species. Head downstairs to see the lower level of this impressive tank. The boys especially loved the bump-out viewing area where you could climb in and feel like you are in the tank as the sea life swim all around you.
Also downstairs in the Ocean Gallery is a giant Megaladon shark jaw, as well as several other tanks filled with fascinating creatures. The boys especially enjoyed the jellyfish and the lion fish, as well as a second touch tank – this one with sharks! Of course they were just sand tiger sharks but it’s still fun to be able to say that you pet a shark.
The boys loved the aquarium, but the great outdoors was beckoning. Past the outdoor dining area is the Adventure Reef Playground. It has several great climbing structures and the boys had a great time playing out there until the sun got a little too hot.
From there we explored the boardwalk and gardens, which had recently been taken over by some prehistoric creatures. The DINOSAURS! exhibit features different animatronic dinosaurs spread throughout the gardens. Watch out because they roar and spit at you as you walk by! This temporary exhibit was an unexpected addition to the typical aquarium features (but did go a long way towards explaining the otherwise confusing giant Diabloceratops at the aquarium entrance).
One final outdoor exhibit is the Butterfly Bungalow exhibit. This exhibit is also temporary, but the butterfly exhibit is an additional cost ($3 per person) whereas the dinosaur exhibit is included in general aquarium admission. The enclosure features brilliantly colored tropical flowers and hundreds of exotic butterflies fluttering about. If you stand still long enough, one (or more!) may even land on you. The butterfly exhibit actually rotates in this space with a lorikeet exhibit. The butterflies will be housed at the sanctuary from April to October 2016. Then next spring the butterflies will be replaced with lorikeets, who last inhabited the sanctuary in 2015. These two exhibits will continue to rotate in opposite years, giving bird and butterfly lovers an excuse to come back each summer.
We were impressed with the variety of exhibits and activities at the Fort Fisher Aquarium. We easily filled two hours there and the boys were excited and engaged the whole time. Fort Fisher should not be compared to large aquariums such as the Georgia Aquarium, whose size and scope simply cannot be matched. But North Carolina is extremely lucky to have four medium sized aquariums that are well run, thoughtfully designed, and impresively stocked with a variety of fascinating creatures. For small beach towns to host aquariums of this caliber is quite an accomplishment and if you head to Fort Fisher Aquarium with level expectations, you will not be disappointed.
