Jenkinson’s Aquarium sits right on the boardwalk in Point Pleasant Beach, New Jersey, tucked inside a landmark pink building that has welcomed Jersey Shore visitors since 1991. Built on the site of a former saltwater pool, the aquarium still uses some of the original pumps to draw ocean water straight into its tanks, a quirky link between its beach-club past and its life as an AZA-accredited marine education center today.
Owned and operated by the Storino family, who have run the broader Jenkinson’s Boardwalk since 1976, the aquarium has grown from a single attraction into a two-floor facility covering sharks, seals, penguins, reptiles, and rainforest animals. It earned accreditation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums in 2008, a mark held by only a fraction of U.S. animal facilities for meeting rigorous animal care and conservation standards.
Stats at a Glance
- Location: Point Pleasant Beach, New Jersey
- Opened: 1991
- Accreditation: AZA-accredited since 2008
- Species: About 300 species
- Signature exhibit: 58,000-gallon shark tank
- Famous for: African penguins and harbor seals
Inside the Exhibits
The ground floor centers on a large glass-walled tank holding sand tiger sharks alongside other Atlantic and Pacific species, viewable from multiple angles as visitors move through the building. Nearby, harbor seals and African penguins draw steady crowds at feeding times, while a touch tank lets guests handle sea stars and stingrays under staff supervision.
Upstairs, the focus shifts to reptiles, amphibians, parrots, and a pygmy marmoset exhibit, alongside a rainforest-themed habitat and rescued animals brought in through the aquarium’s animal exchange program. The facility also runs a sea horse breeding program and takes part in an international effort to breed Lake Victoria cichlids, a species considered extinct in the wild.
A Boardwalk Fixture
For more than three decades, the aquarium has been inseparable from the Point Pleasant Beach boardwalk experience, drawing families off the sand and into air-conditioned exhibit halls during peak summer months. One of its best-known residents was Luseal, a one-eyed harbor seal who lived at the facility from its 1991 opening until her death in 2023, becoming something of a local celebrity along the way.
Daily care includes roughly 50 pounds of food for the animals, mostly fish, clams, shrimp, and krill, prepared by staff before the doors open to the public each morning at 10 a.m.
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Jenkinson’s Aquarium FAQs
When did Jenkinson’s Aquarium open?
Jenkinson’s Aquarium opened in 1991 on the Point Pleasant Beach boardwalk, built on the former site of a saltwater pool.
Is Jenkinson’s Aquarium accredited?
Yes. It has been accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) since 2008, a standard met by a limited number of U.S. facilities.
What animals can you see at Jenkinson’s Aquarium?
Highlights include sand tiger sharks, harbor seals, African penguins, sea turtles, a pygmy marmoset, and a touch tank with sea stars and stingrays, among roughly 300 species overall.
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Photo: Famartin / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.