Discovery Bay is a free mini aquarium run by the NC Aquarium at Fort Fisher team inside Independence Mall, opened in July 2026 to keep an aquarium presence in Wilmington while the Fort Fisher facility is closed for renovation through roughly late 2028. It sits in the JCPenney Wing on the Independence Boulevard side of the mall, between Belk and JCPenney, across from the arcade.
The space features ambassador animal encounters, marine and freshwater habitats, environmental education programs, and a North Carolina Aquarium Society gift shop where members receive a discount. Habitats mix regional natives with reef species: Venus flytraps and pitcher plants, lined seahorses, red lionfish, scorpionfish, bluestriped grunts, copper sweepers, dart frogs, and mosquitofish.
