NC Aquarium at Fort Fisher hosting World Turtle Day ‘shellabration’

FORT FISHER, NC (WWAY) —  The North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher is preparing to host a “shellabration” for World Turtle Day on May 23.

Visitors with advanced tickets can join in on the Shellabration by visiting the five spots in the Aquarium that are home to turtles.

The aquarium is also encouraging visitors to take a “shelfie” with each turtle and then, post on your social media pages with hashtag #ShellabrateTurtles. You can show your shelfie to the team outside the Gift Shop and get a prize.

The shelfie spots include Buzzard Bay home to the diamondback terrapin, Loggerhead Sea Turtle Conservation, where Pip and Scout take turns splashing, Cape Fear Shoals, the 235,000 gallon habitat where Shelldon, the green sea turtle swims his way into people’s hearts, the outdoor pond, where turtles routinely sun themselves on logs and finally, the eastern box turtle habitat, where 13 of these  reptiles delight visitors.

NC Aquarium at Fort Fisher communications manager Dey Rossel said it is very important to raise awareness about the turtles on our coast especially around this time of year.

“We really want to shine a light on them, and particularly right now, that we are starting to see nests,” Rossell said. “The wildlife resources commission is reporting close to 20 nests already. As folks make their way out to the beaches, we really want to remind them to look out for those nests, and also to plan ahead before you head to the beach. It’s those sustainable practices that will make a really big difference in the turtle nesting season.”

The aquarium is also encouraging other ways to protect our turtles and raise awareness about them. 

• Reduce, reuse and recycle — in that order! Cut back on single-use goods, and find creative ways to reuse products at the end of their life cycle. Choose recycling over trash when possible.
• Organize or attend a stream, river, lake, beach or other waterway cleanup in your area to preserve aquatic habitats for local species.
• Share the story of these animals with others. Simply raising awareness about these species can contribute to their overall protection.

Click here to read more about the event.