Help Us Expose And Shut Down SeaQuest
Since the first Covino aquarium opened, hundreds of animals have died either at the facilities or during transport, including over 200 in a three-month period at the now-defunct Portland Aquarium. A total of 250 trout died in transport to SeaQuest Littleton in Colorado. In addition, dozens of people have reported injuries sustained by direct contact with wildlife at SeaQuest Littleton.
Ammon Covino was sentenced in federal court to more than a year in prison, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit illegal wildlife trafficking in 2013. He was sent back to prison twice in 2016, after violating his parole—which prohibited any activity involving the exhibition, purchase, or sale of fish or wildlife. Despite being legally prohibited from doing so, Ammon remained involved with the operations of the aquariums in Portland, Austin, and San Antonio (for which he was sent back to prison in February 2016). Then he was involved in the opening of SeaQuest aquariums in Utah and Nevada (for which he went back to prison again in November 2016).
Violations and Public Safety Concerns - click arrows to expand
February 24, 2019/Las Vegas, Nevada
According to a KTNV investigation, five former employees of SeaQuest Las Vegas came forward with concerns about the interactive environment and animal and public safety. One former employee stated, “Oftentimes because they let people walk around, the kids would stomp on the birds and kill them. And then [staff] would throw the birds in the garbage so they didn’t have to record it or show that the birds were dead.” Another former employee claimed that the same thing happened with turtles, adding that “some were actually crushed by kids.” Another alleged that an octopus “cooked alive and burned to death in [his or her] own water” overnight
February 22, 2019/Las Vegas, Nevada
After a litter of Asian small-clawed otters was born at SeaQuest Las Vegas, the facility was reportedly fined $2,000 and issued a citation by Clark County Animal Control for illegal breeding and having unpermitted animals.
February 5, 2019/Fort Worth, Texas
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) cited SeaQuest Fort Worth for failing to reduce the risk of injury to visitors during Asian small-claw otter public encounters. Two visitors had been injured during the one month that the otter had been on exhibit.
January 10, 2019/Littleton, Colorad
Spartacus, an Asian water monitor at SeaQuest Littleton, jumped up and bit an employee as the animal was being fed.
January 7, 2019/Littleton, Colorado
An iguana at SeaQuest Littleton jumped onto a person’s chest and “got a claw inside [the person’s] mouth.”
January 5, 2019/Littleton, Colorado
An iguana at SeaQuest Littleton jumped onto an employee’s shoulder and scratched the person’s face.
January 5, 2019/Littleton, Colorado
A pufferfish at SeaQuest Littleton bit a guest on the thumb.
January 2, 2019/Littleton, Colorado
SeaQuest Littleton, an iguana trying to climb someone’s leg scratched an individual’s wrist and hand when the person tried to remove the animal.
December 27, 2018/Littleton, Colorado
An iguana at SeaQuest Littleton bit a child who was feeding the animal.
December 21, 2018/Littleton, Colorado
A pufferfish at SeaQuest Littleton bit a person’s thumb while they were feeding the animal.
December 9, 2018/Folsom, California
December 11, 2018/Folsom, California
Less than a month after SeaQuest Folsom opened, a visitor found a dead stingray in the touch tank. According to CBS Sacramento, children were hovering around the pool, touching the reportedly decomposing animal, who was lying at the bottom.
Video footage received by PETA showed a fish at SeaQuest Folsom who had reportedly jumped out of a tank and was struggling on the floor for about two minutes before an employee used a sweatshirt to return the animal to the water.
December 9, 2018/Folsom, California
A stingray stung someone. The barb got stuck in the person’s hand, and medical attention was sought at an urgent-care center.
November 25, 2018/Folsom, California
An iguana at SeaQuest Littleton bit a person’s finger while being fed. And Bella, a white cockatoo, bit an employee’s finger.
November 21, 2018/Folsom, California
According to a Yelp review, a monitor lizard at SeaQuest Littleton bit a visitor, causing what appeared to be serious lacerations to his hand. The visitor wrote that “they handled everything so poorly but promised to take care of everything and sent me to their workers comp facility to treat me. After three weeks of avoiding me they sent me a letter denying responsibility.” Colorado Parks & Wildlife confirmed via e-mail that it had received an injury report in October related to this injury.