New Jersey Aquariums: SeaQuest Woodbridge vs. Adventure Aquarium
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Nature can be extremely fascinating, and learning about different animals and their habitats is a fun and engaging activity for families. For New Jersey state, two destinations that stand out when it comes to wildlife experiences are SeaQuest Woodbridge and Adventure Aquarium. Though both have many things in common, SeaQuest offers animal encounters that take your “Voyage to the Sea” above and beyond.
SeaQuest Woodbridge
SeaQuest Woodbridge is the ultimate land and sea adventure and is home to some of the most unique and interactive experiences among New Jersey aquariums! Kids will have the opportunity to engage with the animals directly! Visitors get to touch, feel and feed animals from a variety of habitats around the world.
You’ll journey through the Amazon Rainforest, Caribbean, Mayan Jungle, and Pirate Island as you interact with sharks, snakes, turtles, birds, and lizards during your quest. Did you know squirrels can fly? Well they can here at SeaQuest Woodbridge, so make sure to fly on down there and see it live. Kids can also take a selfie with Marina the Mermaid, or meet the pirate Captain Quest! SeaQuest is also a great venue to host your child’s birthday party!
Interactive Experiences
What sets SeaQuest apart from Adventure Aquarium is that they offer a number of exciting encounters that allow guests to have a one on one interaction with animals. Small groups allow everyone to participate in the fun and have an up close and personal experience with the animals. And by up close and personal, we mean touch the animals and directly hand feed them treats and snacks! You’ll learn about protecting endangered animals and conservation of the planet.
Special Activities
• Asian Otter Interaction: During your time to feed the otters, you’ll get an educational overview of the otter species and habitat, then participate in an informational Q&A on how you can help save the otters in the wild!
• Fishy Kisses: Dip your feet into a tank of fish that will gently “kiss” your toes, removing dead skin cells in the process.
• Flying Squirrels: Take flight and watch these little woodland creatures jump and glide through the air with ease.You’ll have the opportunity to feed, touch, and even snap a photo with them if you can catch them before they soar off first!
• Snorkel With Stingrays: Bring your suit and towel and jump in the water with a variety of rays, tropical fish, and non-threatening sharks for an ultimate up-close animal experience.
• Sleep With the Sharks: Invite 25 of your closest friends for this ultimate overnight experience! Learn how the Animal Whisperers open and close SeaQuest each day, get a behind the scenes peek at the aquarium and participate in the morning bird feeding experience.
When it comes to visitors interacting with the animals, Seaquest is second to none. From the moment you enter the doors, you have a feeling of being transported to different parts of the world! You’ll see reptiles native to the Egyptian Desert and maybe even hold a snake! Journey through Parakeet Paradise while you watch the beautiful green birds perched on their ropes and ledges. Feed lettuce to iguanas at Iguana Nirvana as a SeaQuest “Animal Whisperer” shows you how to pet them and informs about their rainforest habitat.
At SeaQuest Woodbridge, the emphasis is not only on your family’s enjoyment, but they take pride in educating guests about conservation efforts. Learning about and interacting with the animals at the same time makes for time well spent. As far as New Jersey aquariums go, it’s the perfect place for families. Children are wide-eyed to see all of the dynamic attractions, as they explore from exhibit to exhibit. Parents will be more than pleased as kids are getting so much enjoyment from learning about the world.
Adventure Aquarium
Discover life underwater at Adventure Aquarium. Although the address is listed on the Camden Waterfront in New Jersey, this aquarium is just a few minutes from downtown Philadelphia. It features one-of-a-kind exhibits with more than 8,500 aquatic species. Adventure Aquarium is home to the largest collection of sharks on the East Coast. Guests will come face-to-face with penguins, turtles, stingrays, and so much more!
Special Areas in the Aquarium
- Creature Feature: A touch pool with creatures from the rocky shores of the Pacific Northwest. Guests can see and touch slick, slimy and Invertebrates, such as several species of exotic and colorful seastars ( anemones, sea cucumber, snails and so much more.
- Sea Turtle Cove: This area focuses on endangered species of sea turtles from around the globe as well the resident loggerhead and green sea turtles. Guests will get to know the Aquarium’s resident sea turtles, ranging in size from hundreds of pounds to just ounces. Not so much of a guided tour like the SeaQuest experience, guests will still learn more about these fascinating animals through signage, videos and interactive displays.
- Little Blue Beach: Little Blues are the smallest penguins in the world! Enjoy a day at the beach or get an underwater view of these little birds. Learn about the life of the Little Blues and what makes them unique, including how humans and penguins co-habitate in their native land.
- The Grotto: Located in the KidZone, a playground under the sea awaits. Much like the creature feature area, this is a hands-on activity with more than a dozen warm-water invertebrates including a variety of colorful sea stars, and other strangely wonderful species such as scarlet cleaner shrimp, sea apples, fish, horseshoe crabs, fire shrimp and more!
The Best Aquarium in New Jersey?
Both SeaQuest Woodbridge and Adventure Aquarium offer families the chance to create wonderful memories while exploring wildlife habitats from around the world. But SeaQuest takes this to a whole new level. Pretty much each and every exhibit has the chance to be hands-on with so many opportunities to not only see amazing ocean and land animals, but to touch them, feel them and feed them directly.
Adventure Aquarium highlights some creatures that SeaQuest may not have, including penguins and hippos, but SeaQuest ultimately comes out as the most cost effective. All ticket pricing for Adventure Aquarium starts at $18.99 and up. SeaQuest ticket pricing falls under the $20 price point. There is a fee to park at Adventure Aquarium, but SeaQuest parking is free! Also note, Adventure Aquarium’s capacity is limited by the hour. Tickets must be purchased days in advance. SeaQuest allows for online booking options or simply walk right into the Guest welcome counter for tickets!
New Jersey has a variety of Aquarium options to choose from that will bring the adventure of a lifetime for your family! For the BEST animal interactions in the state check out the SeaQuest website. You can book your special encounter today! SeaQuest Woodbridge