NC Aquarium and Family Activities in Carteret County North Carolina

Pack up for a trip to Cape Lookout National Seashore. It's part of the National Park Service, and you can't drive there. There are no roads or bridges to the park. All access is by boat or ferry service.

The venerable Cape Lookout Lighthouse is the most recognizable landmark in Carteret County. Its overall height is 169 feet and its signal light is visible for 19 miles. The distinguishing diamond daymark pattern was first described as "black and white checkers."

Either way, the structure has withstood hurricanes and an assault during the Civil War when Confederate forces tried to blow it up.

This is the breathtaking view from the pinnacle of the Cape Lookout Lighthouse.
Photo provided by Cape Lookout National Seashore

Take photographs of wild horses. The Shackleford Banks wild horses are world-famous. The herd descends from the Spanish horses of Hispaniola that were brought here by colonists in the 1500s. Settlements in the Southern Outer Banks failed and the horses were abandoned. Others are believed to have swum ashore off sinking ships.



Many of the ecology services, water taxis, ferries and tour boats will take you to Shackleford Banks where the wild horses live. Photo by Capt. Paul Dunn	The horses on Carrot Island are visible from the Beaufort waterfront across Taylors Creek. Photo by Marie Freeman

A small herd of feral horses roams the islands that are part of the Rachel Carson Reserve.
Hikers can take the well-marked half-mile trail loop.

The birding is better here. Bring your binoculars and enjoy the sightings of egrets, black skimmers, herons and piping plovers, just to name a few. The islands and estuaries of Carteret County are internationally recognized bird habitats. Nearly 250 species of birds migrate through the area in the spring and fall.



Some birds are just more curious than others. Photo by Dennis Thomason, Carteret Co. News-Times	These brown pelicans even relax "in formation." Photo by Dylan Ray, Carteret Co. News-Times

A lonely beachwalker. Did you know seagulls are among the most intelligent species of birds? They use a complicated system of noises and body movements to talk to other seagulls. Photo by Marie Freeman

Visit the new Aquarium. The recently expanded North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores awaits you. The underwater creatures and animals inside are ready to put on a show. Featuring exhibits from the "Mountains to the Sea," the Aquarium specializes in family fun.



This hammerhead shark is one of the crowd favorites. Photo by Bill Ward.	This red drum is one of the "local" species of fish on display inside the Aquarium. Photo by Aquarist John Mauser.

Experience the North Carolina Maritime Museum in Beaufort. The maritime heritage of the coast comes to life here. The museum strives to interpret history in an educational and interesting fashion, from barrier island ecology to boat building. Here, you can learn about the U.S. Life Saving Station in the Village of Portsmouth that was established in the late 1890s.



Capt. Horatio Sinbad, Beaufort's resident pirate, occasionally jousts with local boaters and visiting mariners who are moving up and down the Intracoastal Waterway, firing his cannons in mock attacks on their boats. Photo by Marie Freeman	Sinbad's Meka II is moored just off the Olde Beaufort Seaport site, which is planned for development as a "working maritime village," to be operated by the museum. Photo by Marie Freeman