Luseal was a rescue animal who was saved in February of 1991, and has been in the Jenkinson’s Aquarium ever since. According to Jenkinson’s, she was found in the Point Pleasant Canal with severe injuries and impaired vision in her left eye. Luseal was placed in the aquarium because her complications affected her ability to survive in the wild. 

With these circumstances, Jenkinson’s Boardwalk welcomed Lucy into their care for a forever home. 

Lucy exceeded the lifespan of an Atlantic Harbor Seal, living an amazing life filled with lifelong viewers, fans, and her feeders. She was likely born in February of 1989, according to an Instagram post by Jenkinson’s Aquarium Instagram. As the aquarium staff grieves the saddening loss of this life-impacting animal, they wrote on their Instagram on September 27, “Passing at the age of 34, Lucy surpassed the average life expectancy of her wild cousins by over a decade. During this time, she captured the hearts of all.”

Luseal’s death came as a shock because she impacted the lives of so many.

Some individuals grew up coming to the aquarium just to run up the stairs to see Luseal being her energetic self eating fish and playing with toys.  

Journalism teacher Jill Ocone worked with Luseal as a summer aquarium employee during the summers of 2008 and 2009.“With the help of a full time employee, I got to feed Luseal twice. That also included brushing her teeth and observing her behaviors which many people confused as ‘tricks,” she says. 

Those who cared for her would regularly monitor her behavior and her appearance through these “tricks,” which also entertained the audience. Any concerns they observed would be shared with supervisors.

Ocone also discussed Luseasl’s impact on those who visited the aquarium multiple times in their lives, especially children. She said, “Lucy definitely was a draw to the aquarium especially for the children. The children who returned would always remember her.” 

Lucy will forever hold a huge impact on Jenkinson’s Aquarium for those who have visited her from the beginning of her time in the aquarium all the way to the very end.

Writer’s Note: My family and I would always run to see Luseal and watch her play and get fed while visiting Jenkinson’s Aquarium. She was a large part of my childhood, like that of countless other children who Luseal witnessed growing up before her “eyes,”, and losing her was like losing a part of my innocence.