NC Aquarium hosts Scales and Tails Event

Do you like being up close to rarely seen animals? The North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher will host its annual Scales and Tails event on Saturday and Sunday, March 6-7, 2010. The event is a two-day celebration of our amphibian and reptile friends.

Visitors will have an opportunity to see, touch and learn about our cold-blooded neighbors.

Aquarium staff and invited experts will introduce the public to dozens of live amphibians and reptiles, including alligators, snakes, iguanas, lizards, turtles and MORE!

There will be exhibitors and Aquarium staff personal collections of rare and interesting animals that aren’t normally on display.

Event Details:

• What: Scales and Tails Event
• Where: NC Aquarium at Fort Fisher
• When: March 6, 2010 and March 7, 2010
• Start Time: 9 AM
• End Time: 5 PM
• Admission: Free with Aquarium admission

For more information please contact the Fort Fisher Aquarium at 910-458-8257.

North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher to Build Kids Playground

The Greater Wilmington Business Journal reports that the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher is breaking ground to build an interactive kids playground.  This will be a fun and welcome addition to the Aquarium!

From the GWBJ report:

The NC Aquarium at Fort Fisher is breaking ground on a new interactive children’s playground slated to be open this summer...

Aquarium Director Donna Moffitt said, “We’re very pleased about providing a safe, fun and unique play area in our garden. Using private donations, we’ve been able to hire a local fabricator to create this one-of-a-kind Adventure Reef."

The aquarium is looking for a corporate sponsor to fund the final two phases of the project, a turtle crawl and sea squirt play area. Those two phases total about $25,000.

Kilgore said the aquarium has been planning the project since last summer.

To get more details on this project and to read the full article, please visit: Aquarium installing interactive playground

Carolina Beach Aquarium Pier Proposal

The Greater Wilmington Business Journal reports that Carolina Beach Town Manager Tim Owens went before the New Hanover County Commissioners yesterday with a proposal to partner with Carolina Beach and the North Carolina Aquarium to build the new Aquarium Pier.

Owens requested $1.4 million from New Hanover County.  The total cost from Carolina Beach is estimated at $4 million. This money would be used "to establish beach access, a bathhouse with shower and dressing facilities, flexible park space for outdoor events, connectivity with the boardwalk and an improved marina for recreational boating and canoe access points."  The Town of Carolina Beach already purchased 2 acres of land they are reserving for the Pier.

The North Carolina Aquarium would be responsible for building the Pier.  The cost of this construction is approximately $15 million and will be funded with gate receipts.

The Aquarium Pier would be an educational project associated with the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher.

Owens was hoping that the New Hanover County funding would come from the $35 million parks bond but the county’s Parks and Gardens Director, Jim McDaniel, said that they had committed most of the parks bond money to a park in Castle Hayne that has previously been under-served.  This was their priority.

The New Hanover County Commissioners did not vote on the Aquarium Pier proposal but said they may bring it up at a later date.  Meanwhile, Owens will be looking into alternative grant opportunities.

Please read the full article from the Greater Wilmington Business Journal here:
Carolina Beach makes pitch for help with aquarium pier.

Summer Camp Program at Fort Fisher Aquarium

Looking for a great summer camp on Pleasure Island?

The NC Aquarium at Fort Fisher will be holding a Coastal Crusaders Summer Camp for young adults.

Details:

• What: Coastal Crusaders Summer Camp
• When: June 29th through July 3rd
• Where: NC Aquarium at Fort Fisher
• Info: for young adults, ages 13-14
  

Throughout the week, teen campers hit the beach, go crabbing in the salt marsh, tour behind the scenes of the Aquarium, canoe at Holly Shelter, conduct underwater archaeology at Fort Fisher Historical Site, visit the Sea Turtle Hospital in Topsail Beach and try out surfing.

Space is also available for Aquarium summer camps for kids ages 5-12 with various dates and themes.

Please call 910-458-7468 or visit www.ncaquariums.com/fort-fisher/programs/summer-camp for more information about summer camp dates, themes, and fees.

North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher Offers New Program

The North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher will host a two-day celebration of our amphibian and reptile friends on March 7th and 8th from 9 am to 5 pm.

Visitors to the Aquarium will have an opportunity to see, touch, and learn about our cold-blooded neighbors. Aquarium staff and invited experts will introduce the public to dozens of live amphibians and reptiles including:

• alligators
• snakes
• iguanas
• lizards
• turtles
• albino animals
• and more!

The event is free with regular Aquarium admission. For more information, please visit the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher online.

Free Admission to the North Carolina Aquarium in Honor of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday

The North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher is honoring the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday by waiving admission fees for the day.

The 2009 holiday falls on Monday, January 19th. This is one of two holidays that the aquarium reserves for the public to visit without an admission charge.

The Aquarium hours are 9 am to 5 pm.

For more information about the Fort Fisher Aquarium, please visit their website: North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher.

North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher - Be A Child During the Holidays Event

The North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher presents "Be A Child During the Holidays" this weekend. The entire family can enjoy admission to the Aquarium at a child's rate. That means that admission for both children AND adults is only $6!

Details:

• What: NC Aqarium at Fort Fisher's Be A Child During the Holidays Event - $6 admission for all!
  
• When: Saturday, December 13th and Sunday, December 14th
• Where: Fort Fisher Aquarium, US 421 in Fort Fisher, just beyond Kure Beach on Pleasure Island

Be sure to check out the Scuba Santa in the Big Tank, puppet shows, & crafts, the original Grinch Who Stole Christmas on the Big Screen, AND photo specials with Santa.

This is a great family holiday event at a GREAT PRICE!

See you there.

Fort Fisher Aquarium hosts Aquababies Weekend

The North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher will be showing off their baby jellyfish, sea turtles, alligators, sea horses, fish, snakes, and more during Aquababies Weekend!

Details:

• What: Meet baby sea animals
• When: Saturday, November 22nd and Sunday, November 23rd from 9 am to 5 pm
• Where: North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher

Pack up your youngsters and bring them out to the Aquarium to meet their underwater youngsters! We can't wait to see all these baby sea animals. Special programs will be offered all weekend. What a special event - don't miss it!

Fort Fisher is located at the southern tip of Pleasure Island, NC.

For more information visit the NC Aquarium at Fort Fisher website or call 458-8257.

Free Admission at the Fort Fisher Aquarium for Veteran's Day

The North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher will be offering FREE ADMISSION for every visitor on Tuesday, November 11th on honor of Veteran's Day.

Bring the whole family and spend a wonderful day learning about our aquatic friends and the Cape Fear Coastal region. You might even get to watch the Alligator feeding!

Fort Fisher is located beyond Carolina Beach and Kure Beach at the southern tip of Pleasure Island, NC.

Enjoy!

NC Aquarium at Fort Fisher presents "Trick or Treat Under the Sea"

The NC Aquarium at Fort Fisher presents their annual Halloween celebration, "Trick or Treat Under the Sea."

Details:

• What: "Trick or Treat Under the Sea" at the NC Aquarium at Fort Fisher, Pleasure Island
• When: Thursday, October 30th 5:00 pm to 8:30 pm

Children of all ages are invited to dress up in their Halloween costumes, rake in the candy, and participate in games with prizes, face painting, story-telling, a haunted cave featuring Scotty the Pirate Magician for younger kinds and a spooky trail for older children.

Bring your Halloween bags because children can trick-or-treat among the many booths operated by local businesses and organizations.

Tickets for NC Aquarium Society Members are $5; $6 for the general public; and children under 2 are free of charge. Only umbrella strollers will be allowed in the building for this event. Tickets will be sold on the day of the event from 5 to 8 p.m. Advance tickets are available and include early admission.

For more information, please contact the Aquarium at 910-458-8257 or visit their website at NC Aquarium at Fort Fisher.