See a living shipwreck without ever getting wet

Get up-close and personal with Blackbeard’s Queen Anne’s Revenge — no snorkel required. Five miles west of Atlantic Beach on the Crystal Coast, the North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores is open daily and houses three shipwreck exhibits that take visitors under the sea without ever leaving dry land. Replicas of a German U-boat, a 251-foot freighter and Blackbeard’s flagship have all come to rest in displays that contain a combined 386,000 gallons of water. Off the coast, sunken vessels like these form the foundation for complex marine communities. Aquarium visitors can catch a glimpse of aquatic life including fearsome-looking sand tiger sharks, colorful queen angelfish, sea turtles and more as they swim around the encrusted anchors and replica cannons that make up their homes.