05
Dec2014
This week we are meeting Jacob, one of our aquarists.
Hello, I am Jacob and I work as one of the aquarist at the Aquarium. I am in charge of caring for our 60 pound green sea turtle, Shelldon. I started as a summer camper at the Aquarium when I was young. Once I was in high school, I began volunteering ... Read More
20
Nov2014
Thanksgiving is just around the corner. Does your family serve Jell-O or Jell-O molds for Thanksgiving Dinner? Then you have something in common with the sea turtles at the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher. When Jell-O was first introduced in the 1800s there were only four flavors: Strawberry, Raspberry, Orange and Lemon. Since then Jell-O has introduced many new ... Read More
13
Nov2014
This week we have a post from UNCW professor, Dr. Amanda Southwood Williard.
Sea turtles are not the only reptiles that live in salty habitats. Saltwater crocodiles, marine iguanas and sea snakes make coastal waters their home. There are also several species of semi-aquatic turtles that utilize estuarine or brackish water habitats. Of these, the diamondback terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin) is, perhaps, ... Read More
06
Nov2014
This week we have a guest post from our Registrar, Casey.
Hi, my name is Casey. I have always been grateful to have lived most of my life on the coast of North Carolina. The ocean was my playground and an interactive outdoor classroom, where breaks between body surfing were spent searching for sharks teeth or digging for mole crabs. I ... Read More
30
Oct2014
In the spirit of Halloween, this week we are learning about a sea turtle predator that fits the season: the ghost crab. The Atlantic ghost crab is a sand colored crab with white claws. Like a ghost, they can change colors to better blend in with their surroundings. They are nocturnal, meaning they are most active at night, and live ... Read More
23
Oct2014
This week we have a guest post about a three-flippered turtle nesting off of the Coast of North Carolina.
My name is Chelsea Adams. I am the sea turtle monitoring assistant for the North Carolina Coastal Reserve & National Estuarine Research Reserve. It is my job to patrol Masonboro Island daily along with a team of dedicated interns and volunteers in ... Read More
16
Oct2014
A 93-pound loggerhead sea turtle is hoisted out of its holding tank onto an examination table. It’s time to clean and checkup on an injury on the rear-right of its shell. The table is rolled into the examination room, where visitors watch the process through a viewing window, listen as the husbandry curator describes the procedure and ask their own ... Read More
09
Oct2014
This week, we hear from Bonnie Monteleone from Plastic Ocean Project, Inc. Her ocean plastic art will be showcased at the Aquarium until December. Learn more about her work here.
Art is universally engaging. We do not even need to speak the same language to understand the message an artist wants to share. It creates a personal experience. Using plastics I collected from the ... Read More