If you find yourself in the Outer Banks this summer, a must see is the Roanoke Aquarium. The North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island was originally founded in 1976 as the North Carolina Marine Resources. In 1986, the facility was renamed an Aquarium, and joined by Jennette’s Pier in Nags Head in 2011. The state of North Carolina owns the Aquarium and Pier, which are administered by the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources(NCDNCR).
This non profit facility is home of injured animals that were in need of life saving medical assistance, all over the OBX. From the outside, and most of the inside as well, this aquarium looks like any other for profit Aquarium, but your admission funds at this facility go to a good cause!
When we visited in June, my family took part in a hands on sea turtle rehabilitation workshop where we were able to meet a sea turtle up close. During the one-hour presentation we learned how many sea turtles are injured, mostly from boating accidents, but some from swallowing or becoming stuck in plastics from litter. We were then invited to the sea turtle rehab center where we witnessed up close and personal care of the turtles in their "hospital tanks" as well as stitches being administered to correct injuries from propellers.
This was a once in a lifetime educational experience and great for kids of all ages! If you or someone you know is interested in an internship, many of the employees at the Aquarium are volunteers and interns. An application can be found here. https://oshr.nc.gov/document/nc-state-government-application-employment-pd-107
