Excited voices, water splashing, kids playing, adults supervising – and right in the center of it all is a 6-year-old red-headed girl staring at a real-life sandtiger shark – making eye contact with the endlessly deep black eyes and feeling, for the first time in her life, like all the answers in the universe have been solved. For just a moment, the world was right, nothing else mattered, it was just her and a shark.
That little girl was me, and this was my first memory of the North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island, but far from my last. Since that moment in front of the 285,000-gallon Graveyard of the Atlantic exhibit, I’ve returned many times, exploring the endless amount of sea life from American alligators to fish to otters to sea turtles to, of course, my favorite, the sharks. The aquarium is one of my favorite places on the Outer Banks, and I am not alone. More than 300,000 people visit every year.
The North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island came along well before I was born, and its 50th anniversary year is rapidly approaching. Created in 1976, the aquarium’s journey has been a labor of love filled with passionate people and dedicated staff and volunteers. Over the years locals and repeat visitors have watched as the aquarium has not only grown in size, but also in our hearts. From humble beginnings to one of the most popular attractions on the Outer Banks, it is far more than just a place to look at fish and learn about aquatic animals. It’s a place for making life-long memories.
On a recent visit, when I asked staff and visitors about their favorite part of the aquarium, one exhibit kept rising to the top of the list: the Sea Turtle Assistance and Rehabilitation Center. Known as the S.T.A.R. Center, this 3,000-square-foot sea turtle hospital and clinic was constructed in 2014 and since then has saved thousands of sea turtles. In the S.T.A.R. Center visitors can watch the hard-working staff as they help these majestic animals and see the sea turtles in their rehabilitation pools. If you’re lucky, you may even get to watch the turtles eat.
While all ages love the aquarium, kids are at the heart of this facility. Kids love to experience the world with their hands, and the aquarium knows this and plays into it. At the S.T.A.R. Center, young visitors can experience Operation Sea Turtle Rescue. They take a sea turtle replica around to stations to diagnose it, treat it and then return it to the wild. It’s the perfect way to foster learning while making memories. Other hands-on activities include touching rays, horseshoe crabs and sea urchins.
Every day there are free programs like talking to a SCUBA diver, meeting ambassador animals, learning something new on the Discovery Cart or watching an educational film. Outdoor programs for an additional fee include guided walks in the wetlands, fishing, crabbing, paddling in the sound or various indoor programs. The aquarium’s School’s Out Day Camps and Summer Camps are ways to learn and have fun at the same time. The aquarium also participates in conservation programs for sharks, diamondback terrapins, sea turtles, Carolina skippers, Carolina gopher frogs, marine mammals and more.
Most people assume that the aquarium is an indoor attraction only, but there is far more to experience outside its walls. The property sits on 16 acres with more to explore outdoors. Stop and get a bite at the food truck, wander down nature trails, walk through the Pollinator Garden or rain garden and finish off the day on the Soundside Pier in the fresh breezes.
Because animals are unpredictable and because the aquarium staff is always offering new exhibits and experiences, every visit to the North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island will be different. But there is always one common denominator: It’s fun!
In my opinion, there is no better way to spend a day than admiring hundreds of animals and learning about the sea. Staff is always around to answer any questions you may have. The divers in the shark tank are more than happy to interact with you. The animal caretakers will talk you through what they are doing. Helpers at the touch pools will show you how to safely feel the shells and creatures. Even the security guards have interesting stories to tell. It’s an environment that inspires curiosity and endless appreciation for the aquatic environment.
I encourage you to visit for yourself. Maybe you too will experience the overwhelming emotion when a sandtiger or sandbar shark swims by you, making eye contact and leading you to your moment of clarity.
Visit the North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island
374 Airport Road, Manteo
(252) 475-2300
ncaquariums.com
Open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. except Thanksgiving and Christmas days. The S.T.A.R. Center is open from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily.
Advanced purchase is highly recommended. Entry is timed, with the last reservation at 4 p.m.
All photos from NC Aquarium on Roanoke Island's Facebook
About the Author Breanna Wehner
Breanna Wehner was born and raised on the Outer Banks. She is currently a student at Western Carolina University, studying English and Film. One day, be sure to keep a lookout for her name on the writing credits of the next big fantasy movie or TV sitcom.
