The Octonauts Dive In at Sea Life Aquarium

Meet hit television characters Captain Barnacles and Peso 

Sept. 6-28

CONCORD, N.C. (Sept. 4, 2014) – Captain Barnacles and Peso of The Octonauts, a popular animated children’s television show on Disney Jr., will visit Sea Life Charlotte-Concord Aquarium from Sept. 6 to Sept. 28. During this period, visitors can take photos with the characters at scheduled meet-and-greet events and participate in special Octonauts-themed activities at the aquarium.

The Octonauts are a team of undersea adventure heroes who rescue and protect sea creatures in trouble. During each episode, viewers are able to learn about a variety of marine life as The Octonauts study facts about sea creatures in need and their ocean habitats in order to rescue them. Captain Barnacles, a polar bear, is the leader of The Octonauts crew while Peso, a penguin, is a medic who heals sick or injured animals.

“We are excited to welcome such fun, kids’ characters to our aquarium,” said Jack Stevenson, Marketing Manager of Sea Life Charlotte-Concord. “The Octonauts share the Sea Life conservation mission of protecting the sea and its inhabitants, so we can’t wait for our young visitors to enjoy this new educational experience.”

While The Octonauts are visiting Sea Life Charlotte-Concord, guests can view special Octonauts episodes, color Octonauts activity sheets and participate in an Octonauts fact-finding quiz trail to learn more about sea creatures found at the aquarium. 

Our first visit to Sea Life Aquarium, Concord/Charlotte

We were thrilled when we were offered the opportunity to visit Sea Life Concord/Charlotte, for a special Meet and Greet session with the Octonauts! B is a huge fan of the Octonauts, and we have taken many an adventure with them through their hit animated television show. This would also be our first visit to the Sea Life Aquarium, since they opened earlier this year. B was thrilled for the chance to meet a couple of his favorite Octonaut characters in person, as well as explore the aquarium.

We were taken with a special group of press members and bloggers, to a special room at the aquarium, often used for school groups. 

The meet and greet area was in a bright room with lots of fun Octonaut banners around the room, backdrops, and special photography areas. It wasn't long before the special guests arrived, and we were face to face with Captain Barnacles and Peso!

Octonauts characters- Captain Barnacles (left) and Peso (right).

The children were delighted as the life size Octonauts appeared before them. B was among a few of the first children to meet Captain Barnacles and Peso in person, and was so excited! It took him a minute to warm up to his sea-faring pals, but once he did, he couldn't get enough of them! Captain Barnacles and Peso were soon giving B (and the rest of the children) hugs, high fives, and were even dancing with the kids (and some of the adults, as well)!

B, giving one of his heroes, Captain Barnacles a big hug.

There were lots of fun facts displayed around the room, which we enjoyed reading.

The boys had fun hopping on board the submarine...

...and we were treated to a yogurt parfait bar, which was so nice!

We had a fabulous time at the meet and greet with Captain Barnacles and Peso of the Octonauts. They were so friendly, and really just wonderful with the children. The Sea Life Aquarium staff were so nice and welcoming- each one of them had a smile on their face the entire time, and offered to help take our photos, etc. Being there with them and our Octonaut friends was such a fun experience, and one that we won't soon forget!

After we enjoyed our time with Captain Barnacles and Peso, we were invited to enjoy and explore the aquarium, which we were excited to do. We started back at the beginning, and made our way through, following the exhibits one by one. 

B, in awe of all of the beautiful fish and other sea life in the aquarium.

Touch-screen technology in every exhibit.

Sacha and I were really impressed that each exhibit had a touch screen monitor, which allowed you to select a sea creature, and then displayed information about the selected creature. One of Sacha's favorite pars of exhibits such as these, is to read more about what he's looking at, so this was a lot of fun for him.

B, getting up close and personal with some fishies...

So many of the exhibits were just beautiful. Here, we discovered lobsters and horseshoe crabs, among fish.

We visited the touch tank, where B touched a starfish, and held a shell.

We recognized these little guys- the decorator crabs, because we've seen them on the Octonauts before! They were truly breathtaking in person!

We went room to room, enjoying all of the different tanks and exhibits. B was on a special mission to find sharks, so he had a lot of fun looking for sharks in every exhibit we visited. He truly enjoyed seeing so many beautiful fish, and other sea creatures. The colorful fish are always his favorites.

B, checking out more fishies... and looking for sharks!

This was a beautiful circular tank, where the fish swim round and round in a circle, which was a beautiful sight.

Several of the exhibits at Sea Life Concord/Charlotte had some pretty neat features for little explorers. B was actually able to get an inside look into one of the tanks, by crawling under it, and standing up in the glass bubble, which put him right in the middle of the tank!

B, looking into the tank and getting up close and person with the sea creatures.

Sacha was determined to get in there and take a look, too!

Exploring the deep sea, and looking for treasure!

I was most impressed by the sea horses (these were the potbelly sea horses), which were beautiful!

We walked into a large room, perhaps my favorite, with a giant tank, which featured gorgeous rays and lots of sharks! The rays were swimming along the bottom of the tank, skimming the top of the water, and almost appeared to be jumping up to greet us. I felt like they were sort of showing off, and it was amazing! Along with the sharks and rays in the tank, was a huge sea eel, which B thought was so cool! There was a little glass bubble, near the eel, which you could put your hand into, and it made it seem like you were reaching out and touching the eel in the tank, though there was glass separating B from the creature.

Majestic rays and sharks...

B, 'touching' the eel.

There were some beautiful exhibits with wildly colored fish. Hey- isn't that Dori?

B and Sacha, in the walk-thru tunnel.

Perhaps the coolest thing in the entire aquarium, was the underwater ocean walk through tunnel, which surrounds you with beautiful sea creatures, swimming beside you, and overhead! This exhibit houses the Blacktip Reef Shark, among others. We thought it was incredibly cool to have sharks swimming above us in the tunnel. I could have walked the tunnel back and forth for hours, just marveling at the beauty of God's underwater creations.

A glimpse of a shark swimming over our heads in the underwater ocean tunnel at Sea Life Concord/Charlotte.

After we exited the tunnel, we were met by a huge tank of jellyfish. I love looking at jellyfish- they are among some of the most beautiful sea creatures, in my opinion. They are just so delicate, and look like they're dancing in the water. Don't get me wrong- I don't want to meet one in the ocean, I just like looking at them behind the glass.

Jellyfish display.

After we explored the exhibits in the aquarium, we headed to the soft playground for a few minutes of fun. B had a great time climbing and sliding in this area with some of the other children. There were plenty of benches for parents and caregivers to sit on and keep an eye on their children as they played. It was a great way for B to get that last bit of energy out before we headed out.

Soft playground area for kiddos.

On our way out of the aquarium, we stopped for a potty break, and I have to say- the restrooms were impressively clean... they even smelled nice. A clean restroom in a public place always earns bragging rights from me. You sort of have to go through the gift shop as you exit the aquarium, and let me tell you, it was filled with all sorts of Octonaut themed goodies, books about sea life, pirate themed coloring books, activities, dress up items, and pretty much everything you could imagine. There was also an area to view photos taken of your family by the aquarium staff, which are available for purchase, should you like to take one home.

We had a fantastic first visit to the Sea Life Aquarium Concord/Charlotte, and meeting Captain Barnacles and Peso of the Octonauts was the icing on the cake of a very special day for our family. We can't wait to head back to Sea Life Concord/Charlotte for another fun underwater adventure very soon!

Want to Meet the Octonauts?

Meet hit television characters Captain Barnacles and Peso Sept. 6-28 at Sea Life Concord/Charlotte!

For more information and ticket information, visit www.visitsealife.com/charlotte-concord. You can connect with Sea Life Charlotte-Concord on Facebook!

About Sea Life Charlotte-Concord

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 over 5,000 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.

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.

About the Octonauts

The Octonauts are a dynamic eight-member team of quirky and courageous adventure heroes who dive into action whenever there is trouble under the sea. Equipped with a fleet of aquatic vehicles, they rescue amazing sea creatures, explore incredible new underwater worlds, and often save the day before returning safely to their home base, the octopod.

Based on the original books by Meomi, Octonauts is animated by Brown Bag Films and continues to go from strength to strength as a unique and exciting global pre-school brand.