The 25,000 square-foot aquarium in East Rutherford celebrated its grand opening Tuesday.
There are 10 across the country, but this is the first one in the northeast.
The aquarium is uniquely themed "City Under the Sea" and home to more than 3,000 creatures and over 100 different species.
The 25 exhibits are all designed around an underwater theme, with a wink to New York and New Jersey.
"We have fish from the Caribbean, Australia and Indonesia," NJ Sea Life Curator Rich Weddle said. "We really tried to work on diversity and sharks."
The interactive underwater space gives kids and adults a chance to get close and personal with sea life in a fun way.
"So we have a whimsical theme," Weddle said. "The ocean tank has these iconic New York City buildings and there are other tanks that look like store windows you would see on Fifth Avenue. We really tried to be a little bit more playful with it, and we find that it's really engaging, particularly for our younger guests.
The opening of the aquarium was postponed a year due to the pandemic.
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