Chris and I took advantage of our closeness to one of North Carolina’s aquariums and spent some time at the Pine Knoll Shores location. It was an overcast day that ended up turning into a rainy day so it was the perfect time to be inside taking in some of the great displays that they had.

From the fun display outside to the waterfall at the entrance inside this is a really great place to visit. Even without kids it was fun but with kids – a lot MORE fun. We kept talking about how we would love to take Theo there some day so I guess we are truly grandparents now.

One of the first displays we saw was the Muskie display which has a special place in my heart since my high school mascot was a Fighting Muskie. They aren’t the prettiest fish but I still like them.

Tanks and tanks of fish, sharks, turtles and more lined the hallways including an underwater sea wreck habitat which was honestly pretty cool. Another fun exhibit was the Hellbender exhibit which is a local favorite. Our area boasts a lot of protection of this salamander and it was fun to see a tank designated to just them.

So of course there are a lot of interactive activities and I took advantage of the “Pet a Ray” tank. They are so soft and supple!

The aquarium has a lot of great displays and informational signs and of course the sea turtles are one of the most beloved endangered species that North Carolinians love to try to help educate people about them and protect them. Chris and I actually happened upon a young juvenile Loggerhead that sadly did not make it when we took a walk on a beach.

Fish faces and expressions often make me laugh. Just look at some of these characters.

I also love jellyfish. At least I love jellyfish in tanks.

Before we left we walked briefly outside on the marsh walk boardwalk and found these two bald eagles who live in a habitat there. They had wing injuries and were not able to fly so this is a protected place for them where they can be viewed by people who may not have ever seen one in person. They are magnificent birds, aren’t they?

If you are ever in the Pine Knoll Shores area this is a great little activity to do. The Aquarium is open but reservations are currently required. It is easy to make those reservations on line and simple to get to the Aquarium. For all the information you need to know go to their website here.