Seaport Aquarium — Attraction in Wildwood

My experience at the Seaport Aquarium in Wildwood, N.J., was a mixed bag, and I'm rating it a solid three out of five stars.

On the one hand, I found the staff at the aquarium to be extremely friendly and helpful. The owners were happy to answer any questions about the various species on display. Diverse aquatic life is displayed, from colorful tropical fish to placid, slow-moving turtles. This diversity of species appeals to curious minds of all ages.

The interactive touch pool was a highlight of the visit. A sense of excitement and discovery comes from gently handling a live turtle or seeing a stingray up close. This interactive pool experience is an opportunity that few places provide, and I found it quite educational.

However, there were aspects of the Seaport Aquarium that I found troubling. The aquarium seemed overcrowded with marine life. While the owners stress that many animals are rescued, I question whether these creatures' current conditions are the most humane. It didn't appear all animals were getting the care and space they needed.

In addition, feeding goldfish to the piranhas for an extra fee was off-putting. While I understand this is a natural food source for piranhas in the wild, witnessing it in this environment felt more like a spectacle than an educational moment.

Lastly, despite its location being conveniently nestled in the bustling Wildwood Boardwalk, making it easily accessible for visitors already in the area, the overall impression I got was that the aquarium could use more resources, possibly from local or state-level involvement, to ensure proper care for all its residents.

In summary, while the Seaport Aquarium offers a hands-on educational experience and houses a variety of marine life, improvements could be made in terms of animal welfare and the overall...

I came to Wildwood for my anniversary weekend and we decided to bring our 17 month old to this “aquarium”.

I left This aquarium utterly disgusted and upset.

First off, the four tortoises in the entranceway are ill, dehydrated and underfed. All outside ik 90 degree heat. You can tell this by their shells that they are ill and stressed. Their shells should be smooth and they aren’t. They have at least a dozen points on the. I have pictures to provide.

The first exhibit, an eel, was in maybe a 100 gallon tank with zero space to move. In murky dirty water.

The touch a shark pool was disgusting. The sharks look half way dead. Their eyes are cloudy and they barely moved. The water was disgusting.

The alligators exhibit was very upsetting. In a room maybe 20x20 feet lived 3-4 large alligators. With one very shallow pool of dirty water, zero space to move, and a small area of plastic grass.

The albino raccoons exhibit was floored with tile. The tree is actually a pipe made to look like a tree. The poor thing has zero space. Zero food. Zero water.

The koi pond smelt so bad it was nauseating.

I could Go on but I’m running out of room.

Every single animal looked ill, had no food or water, did not have appropriate space or habitat.

I’m disgusted. I can not believe you charge families money to visit the sick and dying animals you are exploiting.

This place should be shut down and I will be reporting to the the...

The Seaport Aquarium was cute, but it was way overpriced for what it was. For 8 people I spent well over $100. In addition to the entry fee, we paid for food to feed the animals-- goldfish for the piranhas, pellet food for the fish and turtles and a cup of food for the alligators. That was a waste of money, too, as the goldfish did not drop into the tank and the kids could not watch the piranhas eat them; the alligator food went through a chute into a small pool of water nowhere near the alligators, so the kids could not watch them eat either-- we left the food for someone else, hoping the alligators would be in the right spot for them. The only ones to eat the food were the fish and turtles, which the kids enjoyed thoroughly. The entire aquarium took about 10 to 15 minutes to walk through, most of which was time spent waiting for goldfish to drop into a tank or trying to get the alligator food near the animal.

There was a lack of aquatic animals that one would assume an aquarium may have-- jellyfish for instance. There was a monkey and a couple lizards, but you can probably see more for free if you go into a pet store.

The kids enjoyed the animals. Had it have been a cheaper experience, it would have been worth the money-- $5/ per person or recommended donations maybe? I do not believe it deserves the name...