Post 349: Pine Knoll Shores Aquarium, NC

Pine Knoll Shores Aquarium in NC

In late March, in April of this year (2024), a friend and I visited our friend Teresa at Harkers Island, North Carolina. We quickly made a list of things to do on this trip and the first check to mark off was the Pine Knoll Shores Aquarium.

Another World Under the Surface

One of the world's most awesome things in God's creation is that there is so much we don't see, just under the water's surface. So to better get a picture of what we don't see in our air breathing life above water, our number one place to visit was the aquarium off the shore of Morehead City, NC. 

Pine Knoll Shores Aquarium is at 1 Roosevelt Blvd., Pine Knoll Shores, NC 28512

So over a couple of bridges we go - from Harkers Island, past Beaufort, through Morehead City, over to Atlantic Beach, driving toward the Emerald Isle, to arrive at the aquarium. 

https://www.ncaquariums.com/pine-knoll-shores

My friends Teresa and Debbie outside the Aquarium - the usual photos announcing "Wish you were here!...We ARE!!"

Debbie and I. The day started off cool but quickly warmed up although it was March 29th. And spring there, in NC, is several weeks ahead of us here, living in Northern Virginia.

So many great exhibits! Although I took a lot of pictures and I have a lot of them here, I won't let you suffer through the entirety of them.  

Where's a fishing pole when you need one? Looks like dinner to me.

Who do we see here?

Did anyone know that there was such a thing as a Giant Otter? That guy is taller than Teresa!

Prehistoric monsters.

One of my favorites is seahorses. This exhibit had a herd of them in there of different colors but this guy went out for a spin.

The last exhibit - and the largest had the big boys.

I had a guy once complain about a jellyfish painting that I had at a gallery. He said my "Jellyfish Hijinks" painting was all wrong, that jellyfish do not swim upside down. He thought that I had the painting on display upside-down. Well, I certainly thought about that guy when I saw the jellies in the tank and snapped this picture (above). So na-na-de-na-na to that guy!

"Jellyfish Hijinks" 8x16 Acrylic painting by Donna Liguria

We didn't get to see any ponies this trip, on Shackleford Banks or while we were in Beaufort having lunch at a restaurant, but we did see some dolphins playing. From Beaufort, directly across the water you can sometimes spot the ponies on Carrot Island - Rachel Carson Reserve area (Islands). 

I hope you enjoyed this post of the trip to see the sea creatures.

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