Residents and visitors to the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher have a little more than a month to visit the state’s southernmost aquarium before it temporarily closes for major renovation and expansion.

The aquarium in Kure Beach will close May 26 for construction to include a 400,000-gallon sand tiger shark habitat, a 10,000-gallon Pacific coral habitat, an interactive shark and ray touch pool featuring bottom-dwelling sharks, and a state-of-the-art education center.

Construction is expected to take about 30 months.

“This transformative project is beginning as we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the North Carolina Aquariums,” Pamela B. Cashwell, secretary of the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, said in a release. “It is a thrilling way to honor a legacy of conservation, exceptional visitor experience and dedicated animal care, while launching a bold vision for the future.”

Plans for the renovation and expansion project have been underway for more than 10 years. The project is made possible with state funding, along with support from the N.C. Aquarium Society.

During the closure, residents and visitors to the area can enjoy Discovery Bay, which will feature a gift shop hosted by the N.C. Aquarium Society, habitats with seahorses, dart frogs, and lionfish, and a carnivorous plant exhibit at Independence Mall in Wilmington.

The public may continue to visit the state’s other aquariums, including Pine Knoll Shores, Roanoke Island, and Jennette’s Pier in Nags Head.

“We look forward to beginning construction, while continuing to engage our community in new ways,” NCAFF Director Joanna Zazzali said in a release. “Discovery Bay allows us to stay connected with our visitors, advance our conservation mission, and continue to inspire wonder, as we look toward our next chapter.” 

Animal care, facilities and safety teams will remain at Fort Fisher Aquarium to care for the animals that will remain at the facility throughout construction.

Visitors are encouraged to reserve tickets ahead of the closure and share their experiences on social media using the hashtag #PoseBeforeWeClose.

For updates, follow the aquarium on Facebook, Threads, and Instagram.

The North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher invites you to cast your vote on names for some of its newest, cutest residents.

Two months have passed since the aquarium welcomed an all-male trio of Asian small-clawed otters born during a full moon on Dec. 5, 2025.

As these adorable pups grow, physical differences are beginning to show and they’re starting to develop their own personalities.

The boys share what aquarium officials are calling “very special genetics,” making them “promising additions” to the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Species Survival Plan program.

Their grandparents, Si and Fun, as well as mom, Milli, are all from Hong Kong.

Si and Fun were confiscated in 2018 by the Hong Kong Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department and moved to Ocean Park Hong Kong where they were placed under the professional care of animal experts.

Later that year, Milli was born. She was sent to the Fort Fisher aquarium in January 2024, where she was paired with mate Binx later that year.

Aquarium staff focus on names that highlight an important connection, such as historical or cultural significance, a species’ history or scientific name, and an attribute, adaptation, or behavior of the animal.

Voters may choose one of the following three groups of name options:

1. Koshi, Bheri, and Seti.
2. Bo, Eddy, and Reed.
3. Nyx, Baloo, and Bodhi.

Meanings of each name, information about each pup, and how to vote are on the aquarium’s website.

The voting deadline is noon Feb. 19.

Guest Commentary

To stimulate discussion and debate, Coastal Review welcomes differing viewpoints on topical coastal issues.

The news that the entire Atlantic Coast, including North Carolina waters, has been excluded from the latest offshore drilling Draft Proposed Program is a welcome moment of relief for coastal communities. This exclusion is a direct result of decades of tireless, bipartisan opposition from citizens, businesses, and elected officials who have sent a message to Washington, D.C.: Our coast is not a chip at the poker table.

But let’s be crystal clear: This is a temporary reprieve, not a permanent victory. Without permanent federal protection, the oil industry will be back in five years, threatening to gamble with our livelihood all over again.

The High-Stakes Bet: Tourism vs. Oil

Our state’s economy is not hypothetical; it’s a proven powerhouse built on clean sand and clear water. In 2024, North Carolina welcomed over 40 million visitors who poured a record-breaking $36.7 billion into our economy. According to Visit NC, a stunning 90% of coastal region overnight visitors came for leisure.

Our identity is our asset: towns like Kure Beach thrive because of our clear coastline and the East Coast’s oldest fishing pier — not the promise of an oil rig. Our economy is built on soft sand. It’s our livelihood. Why would we risk a proven, multi-billion-dollar industry for the volatile, dirty promise of oil?

The danger of offshore drilling is not an abstract fear—it’s a guaranteed threat to our future. To argue that a disaster like the 2010 Deepwater Horizon explosion could not happen here is to ignore reality: the U.S. saw nearly 6,000 spills between 2010-2020. Our waters are ruled by powerful, north-flowing Gulf Stream and lie directly in the path of severe hurricanes and tropical storms. A spill would not be contained; it would rapidly devastate beaches, estuaries, and wetlands along the entire North Carolina coastline.

Even without a spill, industrial infrastructure and ugly rigs drive away tourists. Studies of the Gulf Coast have shown that counties with drilling infrastructure suffer a significant reduction in tourism revenue compared to non-drilling coastal areas. The promise of oil riches is a hollow one when the immediate cost is the destruction of our established, high-value tourism market.

United Opposition

Let’s be clear: this isn’t a political debate; it’s an enduring, bipartisan call for common economic sense. Earlier this year, both North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein, a Democrat, and South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster, a Republican, issued a joint letter opposing the expansion of offshore oil and gas leasing, proving this threat unites governors across state and party lines.

This mandate flows directly from the coast itself. Kure Beach became ground zero of the opposition movement in 2014, and we have passed two resolutions opposing offshore drilling, the most recent of which passed in June 2025. We have since been joined by a chorus of over 40 North Carolina governments, all of whom have passed similar resolutions over the years.

Crucially, the business leaders who power our coastal economy — like NC Catch, the Outer Banks Association of REALTORS, and the Carteret County Chamber of Commerce — all understand a simple truth: clean beaches are their primary asset, and drilling is the greatest threat to their bottom line.

The Path Forward: Codify Protection

The people of the North Carolina coast have bought us time. We cannot afford to be complacent. The exclusion from this proposed program is merely a pause button, not a definitive “game over” for the oil industry.

I urge every reader: Contact your federal representatives. Demand that they move beyond the Draft Proposed Program and actively work to pass the COAST Anti-Drilling Act (S.1486, H.R.2881), that permanently withdraws the Atlantic from all future offshore oil and gas leasing.

Do not let Washington, D.C., gamble away North Carolina’s future again in the next five-year cycle.

We won the battle, but the war for our beaches rages on.

Opinions expressed by the authors are not necessarily those of Coastal Review or our publisher, the North Carolina Coastal Federation.