SeaQuest Holdings, LLC
Seaquest
TypePrivate
FoundedNovember 2015
Headquarters
Boise, Idaho
,
U.S.
Area served
United States
Key people
Vince Covino, founder and CEO[1]
ServicesEntertainment, aquariums, petting zoos
Revenue$5 million
Number of employees
300
Websitevisitseaquest.com

SeaQuest Holdings, LLC better known as just SeaQuest, is an interactive marine, exotic mammal, and bird/reptile life attraction chain. It was founded by Vince Covino and features hands-on animal interactions at shopping malls throughout the United States.[2] The company has locations in Utah, Texas, Las Vegas, New Jersey, California, Minnesota, Colorado, and Virginia.[3] SeaQuest has attracted considerable controversy and legal issues due to concerns over its animal care standards.

History

SeaQuest was established in 2015 by Vince Covino.[4] Prior to the launch of SeaQuest, along with his brother Ammon, founded Portland Aquarium in 2012 (closed 2016),[5] the Austin Aquarium in 2013[6] and the San Antonio Aquarium in 2014.[7]

SeaQuest opened its first location at Layton, Utah in 2016.[8] This location was followed by one in the Las Vegas area, which also opened in 2016 at The Boulevard Mall.[9] A third location opened in Fort Worth, Texas in 2017.[10]

SeaQuest provides an immersive experience for visitors by allowing guests to touch, feed, and interact with exotic birds, reptiles, mammals, and marine life through hands-on exhibits throughout the aquarium.[11] Although similar to its sister aquariums, SeaQuest locations are usually housed within shopping malls.

SeaQuest's Littleton, Colorado location opened in June 2018.[12] SeaQuest went on to open its fifth location in Folsom in September 2018.[13][12] The company's location at the Stonecrest Mall opened in 2021 and was the first step of a redevelopment project by Stonecrest Resorts.[14]

In June 2023, the Stonecrest, Georgia location permanently closed. A new aquarium is supposed to be taking over the location.[15] In August 2023, the Trumbull, Connecticut location permanently closed after years of animal welfare violations.[16]

SeaQuest employee with tegu.
SeaQuest employee with tegu.

Locations

As of 2023, SeaQuest currently has 8 locations across the United States.[3]

Location Date Opened
Layton, Utah 2016
Las Vegas, Nevada 2016
Fort Worth, Texas 2017
Littleton, Colorado 2018[17]
Folsom, California 2018[18]
Roseville, Minnesota 2018[19]
Lynchburg, Virginia 2019[20]
Woodbridge, New Jersey 2019[21]
SeaQuest employee dressed as a mermaid.
SeaQuest employee dressed as a mermaid.

Former locations

Location Date Opened Date Closed
Stonecrest, Georgia 2021[7] 2023
Trumbull, Connecticut 2019[19] 2023

Community engagement

SeaQuest organized an event in collaboration with Layton Communities That Care to support the prevention underage drinking.[22] In 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic, SeaQuest's Stonecrest location also offered free COVID vaccinations.[23][[24] SeaQuest also organized an event for Georbrand Jackson, a 10-year-old who was injured in a drive-by shooting, in December 2021.[25][26]

Violations and controversies

SeaQuest has been subject to boycott and protests by animal-rights advocates such as PETA[27] and actor Alec Baldwin, who blocked an aquarium from being constructed on Long Island.[28] In addition, SeaQuest has been the subject of numerous violations and controversies at its various locations.[29]

Littleton, Colorado

  • Colorado Parks and Wildlife suspended SeaQuest's exhibitor's license for two years due to an abundance of egregious violations related to the animals' welfare at the facility.[30]
  • In 2019, a sloth named Flash was burned by a heat lamp on two occasions resulting in significant burns to its face.[31] The employee responsible for the animal's care was charged with cruelty-to-animals, but was found not guilty.[32]
  • In 2018, Colorado Parks and Wildlife cited and fined SeaQuest for failing to report the death of a regulated kookaburra and issued warnings for the unlawful importation and possession of six wood ducks, unlawful importation of a caiman and wallaby, five counts of failing to report injuries to humans, and failing to report the deaths of 250 trout.[33]
  • In 2018, SeaQuest failed a Colorado Department of Agriculture pre-license inspection. Issues included illegal transfer of koi fish, unsanitary conditions, and allowing visitors to walk through the aviary while birds were grounded, creating a precarious environment where the birds were vulnerable to being stepped on.[34]
  • Additional events in 2018 included SeaQuest storing approximately 80 parakeets in an employee's garage after the company was ordered to shut down the interactive aviary,[35] and a state fine for SeaQuest's unlawful procurement of a two-toed sloth and failure to obtain an appropriate license for the animal.[36]
  • Approximately 30 injuries involving animal-to-human bites were reported to occur between June 2018 and January 2019.[37]
A kid petting a snake at SeaQuest.
A kid petting a snake at SeaQuest.

Las Vegas, Nevada

  • In 2019, Clark County Administrative Services suspended SeaQuest's exotic-animal permit because the facility held unpermitted otters and coatimundi. The agency imposed a $2,000 fine due to an Asian small-clawed otter dying after being caught in a water pool filtration system, and imposed an additional $2,000 fine for unpermitted animal breeding of Asian small-clawed otters.[28][38]
  • In 2018, a capybara named Wesley escaped while en route to a veterinary office and was injured in the process.[39]

Fort Worth, Texas

References

  1. ↑ "SeaQuest Interactive Aquarium CEO talks about plans, critics". CTInsider.com. September 14, 2019.
  2. ↑ Drake, Sarah (6 June 2013). "Portland, Boise aquarium owners bringing one to Austin". Austin Business Journal. Austin. Archived from the original on 10 June 2013. Retrieved 13 June 2013.
  3. 1 2 "SeaQuest Interactive Aquarium & Petting Zoo | Buy Tickets Online & Save". SeaQuest USA.
  4. ↑ "Arrest is latest problem for family tied to new Utah aquarium". The Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved 2022-05-17.
  5. ↑ "Portland Aquarium to close in 2016". The Seattle Times. 2015-12-18. Retrieved 2023-03-28.
  6. ↑ Lim, Andra. "Austin Aquarium opens as scrutiny increases". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved 2023-03-28.
  7. 1 2 Sears, David (2014-10-16). "KSAT gets behind the scenes look at new SA aquarium". KSAT. Retrieved 2023-03-28.
  8. ↑ "Aquarium offering 'interactive' experience coming to Layton Hills Mall". standard.net. Retrieved 2023-05-22.
  9. ↑ "The Boulevard Welcomes SeaQuest Interactive Aquarium with Sharks, Stingrays and other Marine Animals". 2016-12-18. Retrieved 2023-05-22.
  10. ↑ "Want to swim with sharks and stingrays? A look inside the new aquarium at Ridgmar". star-telegram.com. Retrieved 2023-05-21.
  11. ↑ "Our Story". SeaQuest USA. Retrieved 2020-01-18.
  12. 1 2 "SeaQuest to Open Newest Interactive Aquarium Near Sacramento". InPark Magazine. 2018-04-03. Retrieved 2023-05-22.
  13. ↑ "Let's Go: Visit with the animals at Folsom's SeaQuest". goldcountrymedia.com. Retrieved 2023-05-22.
  14. ↑ Hansen, Zachary. "Developer says new aquarium at Stonecrest mall is just the beginning". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. ISSN 1539-7459. Retrieved 2023-05-22.
  15. ↑ "SeaQuest Stonecrest to close for renovations and reopen under new name, management".
  16. ↑ "SeaQuest Connecticut announces closure".
  17. ↑ "SeaQuest to Open Newest Interactive Aquarium Near Sacramento". InPark Magazine. Retrieved 2023-03-28.
  18. ↑ "Let's Go: Visit with the animals at Folsom's SeaQuest". goldcountrymedia.com. Retrieved 2023-03-28.
  19. 1 2 Grice, Jordan (2019-07-02). "SeaQuest Interactive Aquarium opens in Trumbull". Connecticut Post. Retrieved 2023-03-28.
  20. ↑ Irby, Sarah. "SeaQuest to open October 18 in Lynchburg". wdbj7.com. Retrieved 2023-03-28.
  21. ↑ "SeaQuest Aquarium Coming to Woodbridge, NJ This Fall". Mommy Poppins. 2019-05-06. Retrieved 2023-03-28.
  22. ↑ "SeaQuest Aquarium scavenger hunt to prevent underage drinking". FOX 13 News Utah (KSTU). 2022-03-30. Retrieved 2023-05-22.
  23. ↑ "Stonecrest aquarium offers free admission, $100 gift cards to vaccinated visitors". ajc. Retrieved 2023-05-22.
  24. ↑ "DeKalb Commissioner Cochran-Johnson, developer Vaughn Irons co-sponsors 2nd free COVID-19 vaccination event - On Common Ground News - 24/7 local news". ocgnews.com. 2022-01-27. Retrieved 2023-05-22.
  25. ↑ "SeaQuest provides "magical" day to 10-year-old Stonecrest boy who was injured in drive-by shooting - On Common Ground News - 24/7 local news". 2021-12-31. Retrieved 2023-05-22.
  26. ↑ "10-Year-Old Boy Who Was Shot Gets Merry Christmas At SeaQuest Stonecrest". Decatur-Avondale Estates, GA Patch. 2021-12-29. Retrieved 2023-05-22.
  27. ↑ "PETA calls out Utah aquarium that was cited after several guests bitten". ABC4 Utah. 21 March 2022.
  28. 1 2 "Citation issued as SeaQuest remains under investigation". KTNV. 2019-02-25. Retrieved 2020-01-18.
  29. ↑ "Inspection Report". acis.aphis.edc.usda.gov. Retrieved 2020-01-18.
  30. ↑ "CPW suspends license for SeaQuest aquarium". KMGH. 2019-05-15. Retrieved 2020-01-18.
  31. ↑ "SeaQuest Criminal Trial Set After Sloth Suffers Burns (Aug. 2019)". PETA. 2019-05-15. Retrieved 2020-01-18.
  32. ↑ "Aquarium worker found not guilty of animal cruelty in case of an injured sloth". The Denver Post. 2019-10-02. Retrieved 2020-01-18.
  33. ↑ "SeaQuest license suspended after repeated violations". Colorado Community Media. Retrieved 2020-01-18.
  34. ↑ "New SeaQuest aquarium fails 2 animal welfare inspections". FOX31 Denver. 2018-07-19. Retrieved 2020-01-18.
  35. ↑ "SeaQuest stores 80 parakeets in teenager's garage; state investigating". FOX31 Denver. 2018-08-08. Retrieved 2020-01-18.
  36. ↑ Fleming, Sara (2019-09-05). "SeaQuest Littleton Employee Faces Animal-Neglect Charges". Westword. Retrieved 2020-01-18.
  37. ↑ "State investigating SeaQuest, 30 injuries reported". KMGH. 2019-02-28. Retrieved 2020-01-18.
  38. ↑ "Another animal death uncovered at SeaQuest". KTNV. 2019-06-28. Retrieved 2020-01-18.
  39. ↑ "Capybara found safe after brief escape from Las Vegas aquarium". October 23, 2018.
  40. ↑ "SeaQuest in Hot Water Over Dangerous Public Handling of Otter". PETA. 2019-03-14. Retrieved 2020-01-18.
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