An adorable attraction arrives at a popular NJ aquarium

🌊 A seal pup rescued from a California beach now lives at a NJ aquarium

🌊 The seal's front flipper had to be amputated due to injuries

🌊 She can't wait to meet visitors soon

POINT PLEASANT — A new attraction at a popular Jersey Shore aquarium is getting quite the “seal” of approval.

Jenkinson’s Aquarium, located on the boardwalk in Point Pleasant Beach has welcomed a new addition to its animal family: a harbor seal, named Turbo.

Turbo was rescued by The Marine Mammal Center in Brigantine when she was only two weeks old on a rocky beach in California. She was separated from her mom and suffered some injuries including those to her front flipper. Unfortunately, those injuries led to the flipper having to be amputated, according to the Jenkinson’s Aquarium Facebook page.

The seal pup was deemed non-releasable by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) due to her removed flipper and general lack of chasing and eating fish. Both could severely lessen Turbo’s chances of survival in the wild, Jenkinson’s said in the post.

Turbo arrived at the aquarium about a month ago. She was recently introduced to her big sister, Noelani.

The seal is said to be settling into her digs nicely and the aquarium posted that Turbo can’t wait to meet all the visitors.

In September, Jenkinson’s Aquarium lost its beloved seal, Luseal, at the age of 34. The seal had been an attraction at the boardwalk aquarium for 30 years.

While Turbo is still getting settled in her new home, The Marine Mammal Stranding Center announced it’s been a busy week for staff and volunteers as the annual Grey seal pup migration is in full swing. That means many four to six-week-old pups are making the long swim, 300 miles or more, from their birthing grounds in New England and Canadian waters to New Jersey.

The MMSC said the seal pups are weaned from their mothers and are on their own by the time they are two weeks old (like Turbo). So, they have to make this big journey alone, learn how to hunt, and fend for themselves along the way. By the time they reach the beaches in New Jersey, you can imagine how tired they must be. They need their rest. But some pups don’t fare as well as others and need the stranding center’s help.

Currently, the MMSC is caring for six Grey seal pups in its hospital and has been monitoring several healthy pups resting and sunning themselves on Jersey beaches.

As of Valentine’s Day, MMSC’s current patients include four male seals rescued from Ocean City, Sea Isle City, Sea Bright, and Island Beach State Park, as well as two females rescued from the middle of the road in Point Pleasant Beach, and another stranded underweight in Bethany Beach, Delaware.

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