Do you remember those school and summer trips you used to take to places like the aquarium and the zoo? Do you remember being amazed by everything you saw, never wanting to go home, and wishing every day could be a field trip or a summer getaway? What if you could relive those days? What if you could give your children a similar experience?

Are you ready to go under the sea in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains? If so, you’re in luck. The Aquarium and Shark Lab by Team ECCO in Hendersonville, North Carolina is the only ocean education lab and hands-on marine study center in the Mountains and the Upstate.

The Aquarium and Shark Lab by Team ECCO got its start back in 2001. It’s home to over 27 fish, invertebrates, reptiles, and salamanders. There are two dozen exhibits, including a brand-new 2,000-gallon shark study tank.

The cool thing about this awesome place is that it’s not just for fun and looking at fish. It’s also a working education center. They always host six senior projects, three college biology projects, and numerous student training and consults each year. It’s true, fish do like schools!

The Aquarium and Shark Lab are also active members of the North Carolina Science Network, the Environmental Education Sites of North Carolina, and more. Plus, they’re networked with incredible institutions like NC State’s College of Veterinary Medicine, the Georgia Aquarium, and the UA Biosphere 2.

There are a lot of cool things to do here, like feeding the sharks and rays. Every day at 1:15 is feeding time and you learn so much while watching active aquatic life. For example, the sharks here are taken from their eggs and developed in an observation pond where they are hand-fed.

The sharks and rays may be the most popular residents at the Aquarium and Shark Lab, but there are hundreds of others to catch your eye. Check out the leopard geckos, barracudas, and turtles & tortoises.

This place has field trips written all over it and it’s not just for kiddos. Get yourself to Hendersonville and get an up-close look at what marine conservation and study looks like, with people who live their passion at the Aquarium and Shark Lab by Team ECCO.

Head to TeamECCO.org and get ready to go under the sea.

To learn more about Ingles Market, visit their website at ingles-markets.com.