Thank you to SEA LIFE Charlotte-Concord for providing us with complimentary tickets for a visit, in exchange for this feature. All thoughts shared are my own.

One of the best things about living in the Piedmont of North Carolina, is being nestled in the middle of the tri-ad area. The tri-ad consists of Charlotte, Greensboro, and Winston-Salem. Charlotte-Concord is booming with shops, restaurants and attractions, and it's only about a 25-30 mile distance from my house. One of our favorite places to visit on the weekend is Concord Mills, which is home to SEA LIFE Charlotte-Concord. SEA LIFE is our favorite local aquarium, and we recently visited to check out their new Turtle Shelter Exhibit!

Sea Life Charlotte-Concord is a 26,000-square-foot indoor aquarium with another 10,000 square feet planned for future expansion. This one-of-a-kind attraction allows visitors to experience the magical world beneath our seas with marine habitats, displays, and close encounters with thousands of sea creatures. Sea Life provides a glimpse of the diversity of marine life while also playing an active role in animal and environmental conservation. Visitors see strong evidence of Sea Life’s Breed, Rescue and Protect activities around the world, including new projects developed locally.

We love visiting Sea Life Charlotte-Concord. It's such a nice aquarium, and it doesn't cost an arm and a leg for admission. The staff is so friendly, too! As soon as we received our tickets, B was given some goodies, like a pair of diver goggles (paper hat), and an explorer journal for the scavenger hunt. Sea Life has made some changes since our last visit. We entered into a photo area, and had our family photo taken by the staff photographer, and then waited with others in the holding area before we were able to enter the aquarium. I actually love that they have this now- that means that they can control the people flow through the aquarium a bit better. We didn't have to wait long before we were on our way.

B was excited to start the scavenger hunt, and collect stamps in his journal at the Dive Stations located through out the aquarium.

Sea Life makes the aquarium visit so much fun for the kids! Not only are the exhibits bright and colorful, their are lots of engaging activities throughout the aquarium, as well. There are interactive screens at each exhibit, videos to check out, and the Dive Stations with the stamps that the kids collect in their booklets (included with admission). This helps the kids explore and learn as they make their way through the exhibits.

 Lobster and fish tank. Lots of creatures to discover at the start of the aquarium walk-through.

 B explores starfish and crabs in the touch tank.

The touch tank is one of our favorite spots in the aquarium. You can gently touch and feel the sea life in the tank, and there's a knowledgeable staff person on hand to guide you and answer any questions you have. I was impressed by how many creatures B recognized. He remembered seeing them on Octonauts! FYI- there are multiple hand sanitizing stations set up through out the aquarium. I always carry my own, just in case!

 Sea snakes exhibit.

 A fun underwater bubble for the kids to get an up-close look at some of the sea life!

 Our crew, having so much fun at Sea Life Charlotte-Concord! Baby S love looking at all of the pretty fish and sea creatures!

 One of my favorite exhibits- the seahorses! They are so beautiful!

We made our way to Stingray Bay, a large room which houses beautiful stingrays, eels, and other gorgeous creatures! There are two bubble windows at this exhibit, which allow kids to almost climb right into the tank with the sea creatures!

Sea Life Concord-Charlotte also has a really cool Giant Octopus exhibit. We were bummed to see an 'on vacation' notice at this exhibit when we visited. The octopus is my hubby's favorite exhibit at Sea Life. Hopefully, he'll have a great 'vacation,' and we'll get to see him the next time we visit. He's pretty cool!

And now, onto the Turtle Shelter Exhibit...

 Check out this handsome fella!

 Lovely to meet such fascinating creatures!

 Aren't their turtle shells cool and beautiful?

 Hubby loves turtles, so he really enjoyed reading all of the information that was on display throughout the turtle exhibit.

 Did you know that a turtle with a snake-like neck existed? I didn't either!

 More cool turtle facts!

 This guy likes it hot and dry!

CONCORD, N.C. (Feb. 14, 2017) – “Turtle Shelter”, a brand-new special exhibit at SEA LIFE Charlotte-Concord Aquarium, officially opened on February 13th.  The exhibit includes multiple displays and showcases a variety of freshwater turtles and their exciting relatives from around the world.

This family friendly exhibit showcases various types of turtles, such as a Diamondback Terrapin, Common Snapper, Australian Snake-neck and more.  Guests can learn about these turtle’s environment in an interactive, fun and educational display.  

“Turtle Shelter” joins 20 other educational and interactive exhibits found at Sea Life Charlotte-Concord, as well as thousands of diverse sea creatures. The exhibit is included in regular admission. 

 Gorgeous sting rays!

The jellies exhibit is mesmerizing!

There is so much to see at Se Life Charlotte-Concord! I'm not sure I could even tell you which exhibit is my favorite. I loved the turtle shelter. It was so cool to learn all about the different types of turtles. B loved the big cracked turtle egg, and playing around that display. I could have watched the sting rays and the jellies all day! Love the way the light displays change in the jellies area.

There are different spots for educational talks from the aquarium staff throughout. There are schedule feedings and dives that you can watch, and there is also a behind the scenes tour, which takes you up above the tanks to get a different view! We've done this tour, and it is so cool! There is also a playground area (soft) and tables set up for coloring, a vending machine area for snacks, and very clean restrooms, with baby change stations. Sea Life is very accommodating of families!

On your way out, you'll walk through the gift shop, where you can turn in your photo ticket, and purchase souvenirs, books, toys, and more!

Want to visit Sea Life Charlotte-Concord? Plan your visit today!

Sea Life is the world’s largest aquarium chain with over 45 attractions around the world. Sea Life Charlotte-Concord is the sixth Sea Life aquarium launched in the U.S. and parent company Merlin Entertainments’ 100th attraction worldwide. Sea Life Charlotte-Concord is located at Concord Mills, 8111 Concord Mills Blvd. in Concord, NC. For more information, visit www.visitsealife.com/charlotte-concord.

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Special thanks to Sea Life Charlotte-Concord for hosting us for a visit! We can't wait to see what new exhibits they'll unveil next!