North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island - Fun, Interactive, Creative!

N.C. Aquarium on Roanoke Island - View from Pier © Katrena

Our family visited the North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island in July, 2016. North Carolina has four aquariums on the eastern shore of the state. Some exhibits were closed for remodeling, so we have not seem the aquarium in all of its updated glory. Several of the areas that were still under construction offered a glimpse of the room so visitors could see the current progress. I must say our family had a very enjoyable time, and I was impressed with the wealth of interactive and creative exhibits.

Puffer Fish at North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island © Katrena

Upon entering the aquarium, we were welcomed by several people at the desk. One of my kids mentioned that we should look up. We could see ourselves on a video screen up high while various animals and people moved across the screen around us, including a turtle, hammerhead shark, king and queen, dolphin, and an alligator. It was a fun photo opportunity to send to all those worried about us visiting the beach who felt sure we might be attacked by a shark or an alligator. We also saw some marine animal models hanging from the ceiling. An exhibit with marine animals including puffer fish was on the back wall in that first room.

Aquarium near NC Outer Banks © Katrena

Just beyond the entrance was a room playing a video about why sharks attack. We watched a good portion of the video. It was professionally made and included detailed information with interviews, combining human interest with educational information. We learned about how people track sharks and are discovering some unusual patterns. We saw how scientists studied a near miss shark attack and how they were looking at the surfboard for clues related to shark behavior. One interview with a survivor of a shark attack demonstrated how an attack can continue to cause emotional trauma.

Eel at NC Aquarium in Roanoke © Katrena

The film mentioned the movie Jaws and how that movie has affected public opinion of sharks and included a call to protect sharks and creative ways that may be developed to protect both sharks and people who are enjoying the ocean. Those interested in biology will have the opportunity to see the dissection of a shark's eye and a shark's brain. Our crew was ready to explore more of the aquarium after they held up a shark's brain. (Sorry to all the biology-oriented people who would be so disappointed that we didn't stay for the details of the dissection!)

Learn About Marine Life at Touch Tanks in NC Aquarium © Katrena

The next room included several touch tanks with stingrays and horseshoe crabs. The lady who was working in that area identified quite a few animals in the center of the touch tank - several were pretty unusual species. A smaller touch tank hosted some cute baby horseshoe crabs that were about a year old; they were about half the size of one's fist. That area also included sea urchins, sea stars, and crabs. One exhibit (not a touch tank) in that room housed a small octopus.

Dive Show at Graveyard of the Atlantic in NC Aquarium © Katrena

If you exit on the left out of the room, you'll come to the large aquarium called Graveyard of the Atlantic. We just happened to walk in when they had three divers in the tank. According to the web site, the aquarium offers 30-minute dives twice a day, so you'll probably want to plan ahead if this is something you particularly want to see. One person was talking to the crowd about the activities in the tank and offered guests the ability to make a photo with someone in the group standing in front of the tank near one of the divers. One of the divers had a camera or video camera, and I believe those pictures and videos were featured in another area of the aquarium.

Fun Indoor Activities Outer Banks © Katrena

Visitors exiting the shark tank area have the opportunity to wander through a hallway featuring a wide variety of marine life. The hallway was decorated to look as if one were exploring a sunken ship. Some of the more unusual and memorable exhibits included an eel and seahorses. Some areas of the hallway on the walls and ceiling also included videos featuring marine life. Many of the exhibits include information related to the various types of sea life found in each one.

Turtle Rehab Area at NC Aquarium on Roanoke Island © Katrena

The next room gives people the opportunity to don a lab coat and "rehabilitate" a sick turtle. Folks can pick up a specially made turtle and take it to a computerized area for "diagnosis" and another area for "treatment" and to another room where the turtle is "released" back to the wild. Behind that area is a turtle rehabilitation room that includes several large tanks where real turtles are being rehabilitated.

Aquarium Near Manteo in NC © Katrena

The last indoor area of the aquarium we visited contained a brighter open air exhibit with several large exhibits. The landscaping in this area included several flowers and a video of an osprey nest. The video screen looked like it was sitting on a large man-made nest and was quite creative. The alligators, including one that was white, were swimming and quite active when we visited. The otters were a favorite, especially when several of the otters began to follow my youngest daughter who was holding a stuffed animal.

Art at NC Aquarium at Roanoke © Katrena

The aquarium is right on the Sound, and visitors can see some interesting art outside. One area had huge metal fish. The fossil pit includes an area to sift through the sand and look for shark teeth. I noticed a video camera focused on a large nest and believe it was the source of the video coverage we enjoyed inside the building. The aquarium is very near a small airport, so those in your group who love airplanes might see a few planes take off while enjoying the outdoor exhibits. We saw the entrance to a wooded trail that offered play opportunities outside, but our group opted to go out on the pier and enjoy the breeze because temperatures were nearing 100 degrees that day.

Learn About Animal Scat at NC Aquarium at Roanoke © Katrena

All exhibits are wheelchair accessible. Even the bathrooms serve as an educational opportunity at this aquarium. The stall doors featured large pictures of various animals at the aquarium and folks can read about various types of animal scat while in the restroom. You can expect to spend about two to three hours at the aquarium, depending on how long your group wants to spend at each exhibit. The aquarium is very close to the Elizabethan Gardens and The Lost Colony, so you could easily make a day of it without driving far.

Albino Alligator at NC Aquarium on Roanoke Island © Katrena

If you are vacationing on a budget, I recommend becoming a member of the zoo society. We have a membership to the N.C. Zoo. This aquarium offers a program with free reciprocal admission when we visited. My whole family enjoyed this visit, and this is a great place to check out at the beach when the weather is hot or rainy because much of it is indoors, yet you still have the opportunity to interact with and learn about marine life.

See Marine Animals at NC Aquariums © Katrena

Have you visited the N.C. Aquarium on Roanoke Island? What was your favorite exhibit?  Feel free to share with others in the comment section below. Learn more about the aquarium by visiting the official NC Aquarium on Roanoke Island web site.

Pier Behind NC Aquarium on Roanoke Island © Katrena

Additional articles by Katrena

• Jockeys Ridge State Park - One Heckuva Sand Dune!
• Wright Brothers National Memorial in North Carolina
• Katrena's Under the Sea Scavenger Hunt

Thanks for visiting my Travel NC With Kids blog!