New Seal Joins Jenkinson's Aquarium Family

POINT PLEASANT BEACH, NJ — Seal lovers are rejoicing at the announcement by Jenkinson's Aquarium of a new resident seal that has joined the aquarium.

Turbo, a 10-month-old Pacific harbor seal rescued by the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito, California, has come east to spend her life at Jenkinson's, aquarium officials announced.

Turbo was 2 weeks old when she was rescued from a rocky beach in Mill Valley, California, on April 15, 2023, a spokesman with the Marine Mammal Center said. She had been separated from her mother.

She was treated at the center for a variety of ailments including malnutrition and multiple puncture wounds. Veterinarians were not able to determine what caused the wounds.

"Despite months of extensive and novel treatments administered by veterinary experts at the Center, they were unable to cure the infection in her right front flipper and amputated it last August," the spokesman said. The amputation was necessary to save her life from the progressive osteomyelitis, a bacterial infection of the bone, he said.

"This was a difficult but necessary decision because our experts knew although that this may mean that she would not have a good chance of surviving in the wild, she could still have a very good quality of life in managed care," the spokesman said.

The Marine Mammal Center consults with NOAA, and experts with the federal agency agreed that Turbo would do better in a managed care situation, the center said.

Turbo was placed at Jenkinson’s Aquarium after receiving a clean bill of health and making a full recovery post-surgery, the California center said.

The Marine Mammal Center is the world’s largest marine mammal hospital, the spokesman said. Less than 1 percent of the marine mammals rescued and treated at the center are placed in aquarium- or zoo-managed care, as the center's primary goal is to release the animals back into the wild.

"In this unique circumstance, it was the best outcome for Turbo’s quality of life, and we are thankful to Jenkinson’s Aquarium team for giving her a forever home," the center spokesman said.

Turbo was transported from the Marine Mammal Center to Jenkinson’s in January and joins Noelani, another Pacific harbor seal who was rescued by the Marine Mammal Center in September 2017.

Noelani, who came to Jenkinson's in April 2018, was deemed non-releasable due to clinical blindness that veterinarians at the Marine Mammal Center believe was caused by brain atrophy. Noelani also has hydrocephalus (water on the brain).

Noelani had been the lone seal at the aquarium after the death of the beloved long-time resident seal, Luseal, in September 2023. Read more: Beloved Jenkinson's Aquarium Harbor Seal Dies At 34

Turbo was introduced to Noelani on Feb. 12, and Jenkinson's officials said the two seals are getting along great. They can be seen daily at the aquarium, which is open from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. during the winter.