An Earth Shattering Tale: NC Aquarium at Fort Fisher Breaks Ground on a Historic Expansion
Not every shoot earns a write-up. The Fort Fisher groundbreaking was different from the jump.
The Hendy Street crew got to plant our boots on the sand at the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher for their official groundbreaking ceremony, kicking off a transformation that's about to make it the biggest aquarium in the state. It was a milestone for Kure Beach, for Wilmington, and for everybody who calls this stretch of coast home.
A Big Day, from First Setup to Last Shot
We got rolling before the coffee even kicked in. As the production assistant on set, I dove straight into it, hauling gear, building out the setup, and wiring the camera to an external monitor so our client could watch the live feed as it happened. Once we were rolling, I headed outside with Tony and Keira as they caught the whole thing: speeches from state and aquarium leaders, the buzz of the crowd, and the real weight of what was getting set in motion.
Then we moved inside for b-roll, and that's where it got fun. Tony pulled the full VIP treatment, cruising through the aquarium in a wheelchair pushed by Harry for those buttery, cinematic gliding shots, while I worked the camera for stills and jumped in wherever the day needed me. Filming in there, surrounded by the tanks, the light, all that life swimming past, was something else entirely.
What's Coming for the Aquarium
This one's been a long time coming. The aquarium closed to the public on May 26 to kick off 30 months of construction, with plans for a 400,000-gallon shark habitat, a new coral habitat, an interactive touch pool, and an expanded education center. The project runs on a mix of state funding and private support raised by the North Carolina Aquarium Society.
“This is a defining moment for the Aquarium and our community," said Joanna Zazzali, director of the NC Aquarium at Fort Fisher.
We couldn't agree more.
While Fort Fisher is under construction, the Aquarium Society is rolling out Discovery Bay at Independence Mall in Wilmington, an interactive pop-up set to open mid-June with aquatic habitats and educational exhibits to keep folks connected while the doors are closed.
Grateful to Be Part of It
Being there for this groundbreaking, not as spectators but as the crew capturing it, was a reminder of why we do this. Stories like this one deserve to be told right, and we're proud Hendy Street got to be the ones to tell it.
Follow the NC Aquarium at Fort Fisher on Facebook, Instagram, and Threads for construction updates, and swing by Oceans More to Come for the full story on the project.
