PINE KNOLL SHORES, N.C.-
At long last, Pungo and Neuse are holding their housewarming party.
The two playful river otters were among numerous residents on display as the aquarium on the Bogue Banks staged its long-delayed reopening on May 19.
It's one of three state aquariums–the others are at Fort Fisher near Wilmington and on Roanoke Island near Manteo. Each has a different focus; the theme at Pine Knoll Shores is, "From the mountains to the sea."
The facility was been closed for 2 1/2 years, awaiting an overhaul that ultimately cost $28 million.
Attractions include a three-story mountain waterfall, and exhibits featuring water creatures of the Piedmont, coastal plain, tidal waters and ocean.
Outside the building, visitors can take a boardwalk to a marsh that links the aquarium to Bogue Sound, where they can see minnows swarming, crabs scavenging, egrets fishing and songbirds darting through the trees. The area is part of the 298-acre Theodore Roosevelt Natural Area.
