New Animals at the Aquarium

We are excited to announce the addition of two new animals to the Aquarium family!

Spotted eagle ray

Aquarium staff introduced the spotted eagle ray to his new home on July 10. The young male, called "Twister", is acclimating well to the Aquarium’s largest exhibit and his new neighbors. Visitors can easily recognize the animal by his whip-like tail fin, the fluid winging movement of his large pectoral fins, a pronounced snout, and, of course, a white polka-dot pattern on the brown dorsal body.

Spotted eagle rays can grow to 9 feet wide and weigh as much as 500 pounds. They live throughout tropical and warm waters as far north as North Carolina in the summer and as far south as Brazil. This species also lives in the Red Sea and waters surrounding the Hawaiian islands.

The species is near threatened globally. Small litter sizes, schooling tendencies and inshore habitat preferences make this species particularly vulnerable to overfishing.

Twister, a spotted eagle ray at the Aquarium.

Goliath grouper

A Goliath grouper may reach an adult weight of 400 pounds, so Aquarium staff knew it would take some clever arranging skills to be able to put their goliath grouper on exhibit. Though not fully grown, the potential size of the fish necessitated a larger exhibit with lots of room for the grouper to grow. It was decided that the grouper would be a great addition to the Blockade Runner Condor exhibit. But, portions of the replicated shipwreck would have to be removed in order to allow for goliath grouper’s growing potential.

Aquarium staff relocated fish currently living in Blockade Runner to other exhibits and set about draining the tank to cut away a large central portion of the shipwreck. Once removed, the tank was refilled and prepared for its new occupants. The goliath grouper was successfully relocated to the Blockade Runner exhibit in mid-August. 

This species is critically endangered globally. In 1990, the U.S. enacted a harvest ban to protect this vulnerable species which will hopefully allow this beautiful fish to bounce back from near extinction.

A goliath grouper at the Aquarium.

Predator vs. Prey Summer Camp: Box Turtle

Each day summer campers interact with an animal and learn about that particular animal's relationship with either it's predator or it's prey.

On day 2, the theme is "Herbivores". Campers learned about box turtles and the relationship box turtles have with their "prey" which is often fruit, vegetables, crickets and worms.

In their own words, campers describe their favorite predator-prey interaction:

"Box turtles and fruit, vegetables and crickets." -Angel
"Box turtle - crickets and leaves." -Alyssa
"A box turtle [because] they eat worms." -Skyla
"The box turtle because it was so cute to see its eyes." -Sophia
"The box turtle [was my favorite predator-prey interaction]." -Skeets

Predator Vs. Prey Summer Camp: Relationships

For the next two weeks, summer campers will learn how tough life in the animal world is. Campers are learning about animal relationships and interactions. In the animal world, you must eat or be eaten.

In their own words, campers name their favorite predator/prey relationship they've learned so far.

"My favorite predator relationship would be cows and grass." -Alexia
"Megalodons and giant squid." -Katy
"Yellow stingray and its prey [which] is fish." -Michael K.
"My favorite predator is a turtle. Turtles eat jelly fish." -Laura
"Blue heron and fish." -Sam
"My favorite predator and prey are killer whales and sea lions/seals." -Kelly
"My favorite predators are wolves. They eat deer and other wild animals." -Sydney
"Lions and zebras!" -A.J.T.
"Manta-ray and crill." -Dakota
"Deer who eat plants. I love deer and plants." -Campbell

Animal Keepers Summer Camp: Private Dive Show

As this week's summer camp sessions wrap up, campers were thrilled to get a chance to see their very own PRIVATE dive show. Behind the scenes, summer campers saw how the divers prepare the for the show and interact with animals in the Cape Fear Shoals tank. During the show, campers "talked"  with divers while they were in the water.

For many campers, this was one of their favorite activities of the week. In their own words, campers explain why they enjoyed the dive show.

"[My favorite activity was] watching the fish. I liked seeing people dive in the water with them." -Kailei
"Seeing our own private dive show [was my favorite activity] because it was interesting." -Madison
"I liked seeing the dive show because it was our very own!" -Anna
"I liked seeing the diver because all the fish were like really close to him." -Parker
"I liked seeing the scuba divers because we got to go to the very top [of the tank]." -Madison

Animal Keepers Summer Camp: Favorite Animals

Summer campers learn what it takes to be an Aquarium animal keeper during this week's session with activities like animal feeding, tank cleaning, water changing and food preparation.

Campers are granted a chance to get up-close and personal with many of the animals in the Aquarium's care.  In their own words, campers describe their favorite animal they cared for this week.

"The jelly fish because they had to be cared for in a way I didn't know." -Madison

"Today, we cared for jelly fish. I thought it was interesting how they move without a brain!" -Anna

"I cared for the invertebrates [and] cleaned their tanks." -Parker

"I liked the porcupine fish the best because he's really cute and playful. I got to feed him!" -India

"The porcupine fish [was my favorite] because they didn't eat as much and they were more patient." -Sara

"I liked caring for the puffer fish because I like them." -Kassi

One of the campers' favorites, a porcupine fish.

Animal Keepers Summer Camp: I Learned...

Animal Keepers summer campers continue to learn what it takes to care for many of the animals at the Aquarium.

From changing water to making carbon, these campers are experiencing all sorts of hands-on animal care that shows them just a little of how hard our aquarists work everyday.

In their own words campers describe something they learned this week.

"I changed water in a Q-15. [Which was] for a sea star." -Quinn
"I made carbon." -Blake
"My favorite animals were the salt marsh fish like mullets and lookdowns because I got to check the PH and saline [levels]."-Kelly
"We didn't care for a particular fish, but changed water for a whole tank." -Christopher
"We made carbon for the moon jellies. I liked it because we were helping." -Helena
"Today we tested salinity and PH [levels]." -Lilly

Animal Keepers Summer Camp: Animal Care

This week, summer campers enjoy the rare opportunity to feed, clean and care for some of the Aquarium's 2,000+ animals. They are helping prepare food, cleaning exhibits and creating animal enrichment all while learning about the animals they care for.

In their own words, campers describe their favorite animal to care for and why.

"Black Sea Bass because I checked salt levels in their tank." -Quinn
"The fish because I fed them." -Blake
"I liked feeding the shipwreck (Blockade Runner Exhibit) because we got close." -Helena
"I helped the sandbar sharks by making salt." -Lilly
"I cared for a black sea bass because we tested (its) water." -Jaden
"Sandbar sharks because we helped them be shipped." -Dylan
"The huge grouper because he was enormous and he snapped his food up quickly and we saw his teeth." -Lily
"Every fish because we tested PH (levels)." -Hunter
"My favorite animal that I cared for was the shrimp because I got to clean its tank to keep ammonia out." -Kelly
"Horseshoe crabs because I helped clean that tank." -Lauren
"My favorite animal that I cared for was the ladyfish because I was able to take care of the water." -Katie
"The turtle, because he enjoyed it and we got to chop up fish." -Christopher