Sea-Life-Aquarium-Trend-Mag-Online-Trav-Rev-Fall-19

Trend Magazine Online™
Sea Life Aquarium Concord NC, Page 1 of 2,
Travel Review Fall 2019

By Jay Whipple

Trend Magazine Online™

Great Edutainment!
Re-published from a previous edition...

We covered the grand opening of this new attraction in our regional news section of our March 2014 edition. Since then I had planned on stopping through and as usual fill you guys in on just what was what with this brand spanking new site. Well, it turns out that I just so happened to be in the Concord Mills Mall killing time during our annual QCT Charlotte NASCAR Shuttle™ service for the Coca-Cola 600 race the Sunday before Memorial Day in May of 2014.

On that note I made it back by 5 PM giving myself plenty of time to see it all by the 7 PM closing time on Sunday. During the week and Saturdays it closes at 9 PM EST. The greeter and front desk staff were very friendly and helpful making it very easy to part with the $18 plus $1.26 tax (With my $2 military discount, thank you) it cost me to enter. I initially considered that price a bit steep for the length of time given to see it all, however, kept an open mind that I would not regret it in the end.

Also, I could write the cost off as another business expense. Smile! The first of 20 different rooms that I entered was the Introduction. If you are wondering what is done in that room, I think this article is a bit over your head. Smile! Actually, if you are into deep sea cartoons then you will be right at home. I am not that much into deep sea cartoons so I did not find this room very exciting. The next 19 rooms and more than 5,000 sea creatures, however, more than made up for that brief disappointment.

The atmosphere inside this place is very pleasantly dark and cozy and the background music is pretty cool in that it gives you an aura of deep sea suspense as you move from one room to the next. Early on you are treated to the touch pool in room four which allows those of us that are not afraid of sea creatures to actually touch a starfish and hermits.

If you are brave enough, like me, please do not place the starfish back in their pool of water upside down, like me. Man I felt really stupid! The associates there, however, were very friendly and understanding that I was a novice star fish handler. That is my excuse for redemption of course. Another cool thing about this aquarium is that each room has information kiosks that go into details about each creature in each salt water pool.

On that note, I have never seen salt water as clear as it is in there as it resembled fresh water. According to one of the docents, they actually manufacture that water on site. I never heard of anyone making salt water. Maybe one day scientist will figure out how to convert salt water into fresh water to be used during severe droughts during the summer months.