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| A captivated audience in front of the shark tank (Photo by me). |
I came to learn and absorb information because I’m working
on my first novel. It primarily takes place in an aquarium, so of course I had
to go and investigate the inner workings of such a place. I decided the best
aquarium for me to study would be the Pine Knoll Shores aquarium just outside
of Atlantic Beach, North Carolina, since it is the biggest aquarium North
Carolina has to offer.
One of the many volunteers at the aquarium, Debbie Dunham of New Bern, loves working there. "My favorite part of volunteering is that people all over the world come here to learn," Said Dunham.
Dunham has donated 300 hours of service to the aquarium after volunteering there for three years. She is currently stationed in the touch tank area of the aquarium.
"I come here for thereapy. I have a full time job and this is kind of my therapy job," said Dunham. "It's a wonderful and a caring place to volunteer. It's a place that really cares about North Carolina's conservation."
There are volunteers in every area of the aquarium. From the sting ray touch tanks to the outdoor nature walk, where I found an older woman simply known as Mrs. Kay. She moved to Cedar Point on North Carolina's crystal coast after living all around the world in order to be with her son, who studied sea slugs off the coast and now works for NASA. So I wondered why such an interesting world traveler would be volunteering at an aquarium.
When I asked Kay this very question, she said, "I volunteer here because I'm interested in the ecology and biology of the marsh, and I came to learn and to share what little knowledge I have. The volunteers are a big part of the aquarium and it couldn't exist without its volunteers."
Next I moved on to trying to see what part of the aquarium the visitors seemed to flock to the most. This is how I found myself waiting for the 2:30 p.m. dive show. I don't think I have ever seen this many people sitting in front of an exhibit at any museum, zoo, or aquarium in the Carolina's. I singled out a mother of two, Maura Tourien of Raleigh, and asked her why she thought the big shark tank attracted so many people.
"It's just a spectacular life-sized experience we probably wouldn't get anywhere else," said Tourien.
She was right, though. The experiences you have at the Pine Knoll Shores Aquarium are completely unique to anywhere else in or around the Carolina's. After getting enough background information, I can now finally start getting to work on my novel.
Pine Knoll Shores Aquarium:
1 Roosevelt Blvd.,
Pine Knoll Shores, NC 28512.
Hours: 9am -5pm daily.
Admission: $8 for ages 13-61; $7 for ages 62 and up; $6 for ages 3-12; no charge for ages 2 and under and NC Aquarium Society members.
For more information, visit www.ncaquariums.com/pine-knoll-shores or call 800-832-FISH (3474).
Dunham has donated 300 hours of service to the aquarium after volunteering there for three years. She is currently stationed in the touch tank area of the aquarium.
"I come here for thereapy. I have a full time job and this is kind of my therapy job," said Dunham. "It's a wonderful and a caring place to volunteer. It's a place that really cares about North Carolina's conservation."
There are volunteers in every area of the aquarium. From the sting ray touch tanks to the outdoor nature walk, where I found an older woman simply known as Mrs. Kay. She moved to Cedar Point on North Carolina's crystal coast after living all around the world in order to be with her son, who studied sea slugs off the coast and now works for NASA. So I wondered why such an interesting world traveler would be volunteering at an aquarium.
When I asked Kay this very question, she said, "I volunteer here because I'm interested in the ecology and biology of the marsh, and I came to learn and to share what little knowledge I have. The volunteers are a big part of the aquarium and it couldn't exist without its volunteers."
Next I moved on to trying to see what part of the aquarium the visitors seemed to flock to the most. This is how I found myself waiting for the 2:30 p.m. dive show. I don't think I have ever seen this many people sitting in front of an exhibit at any museum, zoo, or aquarium in the Carolina's. I singled out a mother of two, Maura Tourien of Raleigh, and asked her why she thought the big shark tank attracted so many people.
"It's just a spectacular life-sized experience we probably wouldn't get anywhere else," said Tourien.
She was right, though. The experiences you have at the Pine Knoll Shores Aquarium are completely unique to anywhere else in or around the Carolina's. After getting enough background information, I can now finally start getting to work on my novel.
Pine Knoll Shores Aquarium:
1 Roosevelt Blvd.,
Pine Knoll Shores, NC 28512.
Hours: 9am -5pm daily.
Admission: $8 for ages 13-61; $7 for ages 62 and up; $6 for ages 3-12; no charge for ages 2 and under and NC Aquarium Society members.
For more information, visit www.ncaquariums.com/pine-knoll-shores or call 800-832-FISH (3474).
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