SeaQuest (aquariums)

SeaQuest Holdings, LLC

Company type	Private company
Industry	Entertainment, Aquarium attractions
Founded	2015
Founder	Vince Covino
Fate	Filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2024; ceased operations by 2025
Area served	United States
Products	Interactive animal experiences featuring marine life, exotic mammals, birds, and reptiles

SeaQuest Holdings, LLC, commonly referred to as SeaQuest, was a chain of interactive attractions featuring marine life, exotic mammals, birds, and reptiles, established by Vince Covino. This enterprise provided hands-on animal experiences within shopping centers throughout the United States but has since ceased operations at all its venues. The organization encountered considerable controversy and legal challenges concerning its animal care practices.

History

SeaQuest was launched in 2015 by Vince Covino, building upon earlier projects he developed with his brother Ammon, such as the Portland Aquarium (2012–2016), Austin Aquarium (2013), and San Antonio Aquarium (2014).

The inaugural SeaQuest location debuted in Layton, Utah, in 2016, followed by branches in Las Vegas at The Boulevard Mall (2016) and Fort Worth, Texas (2017). The chain focused on immersive guest experiences that involved touching, feeding, and interacting with exotic birds, reptiles, mammals, and aquatic creatures within mall-based settings.

Additional sites opened in Littleton, Colorado (2018), Folsom, California (2018), and Stonecrest Mall in Georgia (2021), the latter being part of a significant redevelopment initiative.

By mid-2023, the Stonecrest venue was permanently shuttered with intentions to introduce a new aquarium operator. The Trumbull, Connecticut facility also closed in August 2023 following extended animal welfare concerns.

In October 2024, the Ridgmar Mall location in Fort Worth ceased operations after an investigation led by PETA revealed severe mistreatment of animals. Subsequently, in December 2024, SeaQuest filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection amid disclosures of hazardous conditions affecting both animals and employees. Despite this, the aquariums continued functioning throughout the restructuring process.

In January 2025, SeaQuest announced intentions to sell all its assets—including responsibilities for animal welfare and aquarium management—for $80,000, seeking judicial approval by February. Failure to finalize this sale could result in liquidation proceedings.

By February 18, 2025, the Roseville aquarium had closed permanently with its animals relocated by April. The Folsom location was acquired and rebranded as NorCal Aquarium and Wildlife Adventures in March 2025. Remaining sites in Woodbridge and Layton were sold and renamed by April 2025.

Locations

At its height in 2021, SeaQuest operated ten aquariums across various U.S. states. The company began reducing its footprint in 2023, closing multiple locations through to 2025.

Divested locations

Location	Date Opened	Date Sold	Operating as
Folsom, California	2018	March 17, 2025	NorCal Aquarium and Wildlife Adventures LLC
Las Vegas, Nevada	2016	March 6, 2025	One World Interactive Aquarium
Layton, Utah	2016	Late March-Early April 2025	Layton Aquarium & Wildlife Encounters
Lynchburg, Virginia	2019	October 18, 2024	Hill City AquaZoo
Stonecrest, Georgia	2021	June 18, 2023
Woodbridge, New Jersey	2019	April 6, 2025	Woodbridge Aquarium & Wildlife Center

Defunct locations

Location	Date Opened	Date Closed
Fort Worth, Texas	2017	October 28, 2024
Littleton, Colorado	2018	February 7, 2024
Roseville, Minnesota	2018	February 18, 2025
Trumbull, Connecticut	2019	August 20, 2023

Community involvement

SeaQuest collaborated with Layton Communities That Care to aid efforts in preventing underage alcohol consumption. In 2021, its Stonecrest branch provided complimentary COVID-19 vaccinations. Additionally, the company organized a community event to support Georbrand Jackson, a 10-year-old who was recovering from a shooting injury.

Violations and incidents

SeaQuest has encountered protests and boycotts initiated by animal-rights organizations such as PETA, along with opposition from public figures including actor Alec Baldwin, who successfully halted an aquarium development on Long Island. Various locations of the company have also been subject to multiple violations and incidents.

Littleton, Colorado

• Colorado Parks and Wildlife revoked SeaQuest’s exhibitor license for two years due to repeated breaches of animal welfare regulations.
• In 2019, a sloth named Flash sustained severe burns caused by a heat lamp; although an employee faced animal cruelty charges related to the incident, they were ultimately acquitted.
• SeaQuest was penalized in 2018 for neglecting to report the death of a regulated kookaburra and received citations for the illegal importation and possession of animals including wood ducks, a caiman, and a wallaby.
• The company did not pass a 2018 pre-license inspection by the Colorado Department of Agriculture because of unauthorized koi fish transfers, unsanitary aviary conditions, and unsafe visitor pathways.
• Additional problems in 2018 involved housing roughly 80 parakeets in an employee’s garage after the interactive aviary was closed, along with fines imposed for unlawfully acquiring a two-toed sloth without proper permits.
• Between June 2018 and January 2019, there were about 30 reported incidents of animals biting visitors.
• Due to persistent concerns regarding animal welfare, the Littleton facility ceased operations permanently on February 4, 2024.

Las Vegas, Nevada

• Clark County Administrative Services suspended SeaQuest’s exotic-animal permit in 2019 after discovering unpermitted otters and coatimundi. The location was fined $2,000 following the death of an Asian small-clawed otter in a filtration system and incurred an additional $2,000 penalty for unauthorized breeding of these otters.
• In 2018, a capybara named Wesley escaped during transport to a veterinary clinic and sustained injuries as a result.

Fort Worth, Texas

• The United States Department of Agriculture issued citations to SeaQuest in 2019 for failing to reduce injury risks during public interactions with an Asian small-clawed otter.
• In 2024, investigations were launched by local and federal authorities into the Fort Worth site following allegations of animal neglect reported by former staff members. The aquarium closed its doors in October 2024 amid these inquiries.