SeaQuest Littleton to close following animal welfare concerns

SeaQuest Littleton will be closing its doors on Feb. 4, after six years in business. It follows after numerous citations from regulatory agencies and complaints from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, or PETA, centering around animal welfare and injuries to customers.

"After years of submitting complaints to federal and state authorities, PETA is celebrating the announcement that this death trap will be closed permanently," said Michelle Sinnott, director of Captive Animal Law Enforcement with the PETA Foundation.

SeaQuest Littleton has faced a number of accusations since opening in 2018. In 2019, the aquarium's license was temporarily suspended for a number of Colorado Parks and Wildlife violations. The facility has also received citations from the USDA and Jefferson County Animal Control.

"SeaQuest got busted for illegally possessing state-regulated wildlife. They weren't reporting injuries to the public. A sloth was burned by a heat lamp twice," said Sinnott. "In 2021, a wallaby named Ben could not escape an aquarium tank and drowned, because there were no stairs leading out of the tank."

SeaQuest bills itself as an "interactive aquarium," but PETA calls it a "cruel shopping mall petting zoo" and says it's dangerous to the public. Sinnott says the USDA issued a critical citation after a customer was bitten by a Savannah cat.

"Customers at SeaQuest have been bitten by iguanas, fish, pigs, and it's because wild animals don't want to be poked and prodded by the public, but that's SeaQuest's entire business model," said Sinnott.

SeaQuest declined an interview with CBS News Colorado about their upcoming closure, but shared a statement on Facebook. Saying in part:

"SeaQuest continues its strength as a company and will still operate in states that support our interactive business model. We believe this is such a value to the community, and we are thrilled that we can create a magical and unforgettable experience for every guest by connecting them with amazing animals from all over the planet. During this transition, we will be safely relocating our animals; their care and well-being remain an utmost priority for SeaQuest."

It's not clear where the animals will be relocated to but PETA is urging SeaQuest not to ship them to their other locations.

"Do the right thing. Send them to reputable facilities where they can finally get the care that they desperately need," said Sinnott.

With the closure of SeaQuest Littleton, the company has seven facilities left. 

However, other SeaQuest aquariums across the country have faced similar USDA citations, with locations in Connecticut and Georgia closing.