Luseal, a blind harbor seal who became a must-sea attraction at a Jersey Shore aquarium, has died.
“Heartbroken” Jenkinson’s Aquarium administrators on Wednesday announced the death of the feisty 34-year-old marine mammal, who had charmed thousands of visitors at the Point Pleasant attraction for decades.
“Lucy was a local at heart,” who “surpassed the average life expectancy of her wild cousins by over a decade,” the aquarium posted.
Luseal was found in 1991 at death’s door, stranded on a retaining wall in the Point Pleasant canal.
Cops called the Marine Mammal Stranding Center.
The center nursed Luseal back to health, but her vision issues meant she could never return to the wild, which ended up a win-win for the mammal — and countless aquarium visitors.
Luseal’s death led to a wave of condolences on social media.
“So sad to hear of Luseal’s passing. She truly was such an ambassador for her species,” posted visitor Madeline Makstein to the aquarium’s Facebook page.
Echoed another visitor, Loren Nicole: “Such a friendly girl. She carved a part of my childhood. She’ll be missed!”