Team E.C.C.O. & the Aquarium & Shark Lab by Team ECCO — Attraction in Hendersonville

I went with my husband today to check our their facility. I assumed that they would be small but the animals would be well cared for and the staff would be knowledgeable. That couldn't be further from the truth! They are a small operation, conveniently located on Main Street in Hendersonville however it was absolutely tragic inside.

The area in which the tanks are housed is a single room with a hodgepodge of setups. All were extremely outdated, many cracked and chipped and all were neglected. Most of the fish were in aquariums that were very undersized (Longhorn Cowfish in a 29gal) and were with inappropriate tankmates (such as seahorses with a Coris Wrasse and other aggressive fish). The tanks were also covered in algae, majanos and aiptasia. There was only one tank with some living coral such as mushrooms and a maxi mini carpet anemone. Most tanks were "decorated" with artificial plants and some fake corals as well, making everything look very unnatural and unappealing. Very few of the animals were labeled and the ones that were were mislabeled (a Stars and Striped labeled as a Dogface). We told the attendant and she gave us a blank stare. All the employees I saw were very young and knew little about the livestock or the systems.

There are some freshwater turtles and lizards as well. They seem very out of place but they are better cared for than most of the other inhabitants.

The bottom line is that this place is deplorable. You do not need an extensive knowledge of marine life to know that these creatures are in poor care and that the organization needs to step up to the responsibility of displaying and educating the public about these...

I hope you're able to reopen for those who respect what you have done for such an in-land city. If mistakes were made, it's part of a learning process and there are many that still appreciate and support the fact you've provided a learning opportunity as well as brought beauty to many that are unable to travel to see it. Anyone who judges and throws stones needs to make sure their glass house is spotlessly clean.

We always have the best time every visit! My husband and I enjoy it almost as much as our son does, so I'm not sure why there has been negativity other than people should relax - ESPECIALLY since you've been given an opportunity to see many things a lot wouldn't ever be able to! While this is a "storefront" venue, it's amazingly large once you enter and all the interns and volunteers are super friendly as well as helpful, willing to answer any questions and offer interesting facts. Everyone we encountered today was beyond friendly and are the reason we frequently make the drive to visit! We brought my son here for his first birthday and a handful of times since, knowing that when he asks for The Aquarium, this is where he wants to go!!! Every creature that is here is extremely well cared for and Ms. BJ is obviously extremely passionate about what she does as well as deeply cares about those that live there as well as the ones who visit 😉. HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMEND visiting and enjoying all the specialness within this amazing place!!!! Thank-you to all for the beauty you bring to...

This aquarium was awesome! As many reviewers have noted, the space is not large. It's in downtown Hendersonville, right on Main St. You are not going to be seeing 20 foot sharks or giant fish or anything like that. However, you will see a wide variety of fish, rays, lobsters, crabs, salamanders, urchins, etc. and yes, several small sharks. They also have tortoises, lizards, and several kinds of water turtles. Most importantly, if you arrive around 1:00pm (12:30 on Saturday), you will get to see the staff feed all of the animals. They go around to each tank and feed each creature by hand. They also take some of the lizards and tortoises out of their habitats while they're feeding them, and they have a touch tank where you can feel horseshoe crabs, urchins, and starfish. The highlight of the trip was when one of the staff actually put on a snorkel and dived into the large tank to feed the sharks and rays. The sharks and rays came right up to the diver as she fed them. All of the staff, who range in age from middle school to college, are extremely knowledgeable and will answer any questions you have. Fun for all ages, especially if you get to see the animal feedings! You will not be disappointed! One final note: Street parking was very tight downtown. There is a municipal parking lot a few blocks away on N King St, but there aren't very many signs pointing to it. We drove in circles a couple of times before...