The Aquarium near Fort Fisher is 20 miles south of Wilmington. The drive was breathtaking because you go by beautiful Carolina and Kure beaches. You drive right next to the water the entire trip. The homes on the beach aren’t fancy; it seemed like they would be affordable, unlike some other beachfront properties. It was very pretty.
The aquarium was large and clean, having opened its expanded 84,000-square-foot facility recently. It features everything from the waters of Cape Fear, like the freshwater rivers and swamps, to coastal waters and the open ocean. I wasn’t blown away here, but it was neat to see all the different sizes and colors of fish. I was on a hunt for a loggerhead turtle, but they didn’t have one. I guess they don’t live around these parts.
They had a "Cape Fear Conservatory", which is a half-acre, glass-covered conservatory with alligators, catfish, and other freshwater animals. It was warm in there, and we had a hard time finding the animals. It gets crowded in there, as well, as there are only paths to walk on.
I did enjoy the "Cape Fear Shoals", which is a quarter-million-gallon marine exhibit with sharks, eels, and more. You could look at that from multiple floors and see different things from different locations. The back provides a window to the Moray Eel Cave.
The aquarium does give descriptions of the types of fish you would find in the different waters. I think it would be very educational and thrilling for children. They also have live presentations in their auditorium, with things like videos and programs. There is a gift shop with lots of underwater-related gifts and an outdoor eatery for quick snacks.
The aquarium is handicapped-accessible, but there are a lot of up and down ramps. I wheeled myself and really had to use my muscles in a lot of places, especially the conservatory. It would be better if you could get pushed.
This was my first aquarium, and now that I’ve seen it, I think it will be my last. It just didn’t interest me very much, and I was bored. But I am recommending it because it was quite beautiful, and I think that most other people will enjoy it. The other people there seemed to like it. It just wasn't the thing for me.
If you do plan a trip to the aquarium, set aside time to go to the beaches on the way. There is also the Fort Fisher State Historical Site, with a Civil War museum, the State Recreation Area, and a ferry to Southport. The aquarium will take about 2 hours to tour, without seeing any special presentations.