![\"Grouper](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.animals24-7.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/Picsart_25-01-31_19-55-56-665-e1738382192517.jpg?ssl=1\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
<\/a> (Beth Clifton collage)<\/strong><\/em><\/div>\n BOISE, \u00a0Idaho\u2013\u2013<\/strong>The fate of anywhere from hundreds to thousands of animals surviving at the five remaining SeaQuest interactive aquariums still hangs in the scales of justice,\u00a0 after the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Boise,\u00a0 Idaho,\u00a0 blocked an application to sell the remaining assets\u2013\u2013including the animals\u2013\u2013to a 4% shareholder in the bankrupt company for $80,000,\u00a0 mere pennies on the dollar owed.<\/p>\n How many animals remain flipping,\u00a0 flopping,\u00a0 hopping,\u00a0 and gasping for air at the five remaining SeaQuest facilities is unknown,\u00a0 and was apparently not disclosed at a January 31,\u00a0 2025 hearing on the proposed bankruptcy settlement.<\/p>\n <\/a> SeaQuest did not offer an interactive experience with a T-rex, but might have if it could have.<\/strong><\/em> The last SeaQuest locations,\u00a0 of 14 built, \u00a0are in Folsom,\u00a0 California;\u00a0 Layton,\u00a0 Utah;\u00a0 Las Vegas,\u00a0 Nevada;\u00a0 Roseville,\u00a0 Minnesota;\u00a0 and Boise,\u00a0 flagship headquarters for the SeaQuest company.<\/p>\n Each location reportedly opened with about 1,500 animals,\u00a0 including small sharks and rays,\u00a0 a variety of other fish,\u00a0 and various birds,\u00a0 reptiles, \u00a0and mammals\u2013\u2013many of them not normally associated with aquatic environments\u2013\u2013available for petting and feeding by visitors.<\/p>\n Applying for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in December 2024,\u00a0 SeaQuest Holdings LLC chief executive Aaron Neilsen indicated that animals of about 300 species were at each site then,\u00a0 but did not say how many individual animals that represented.<\/p>\n <\/a> (Beth Clifton collage)<\/strong><\/em><\/div>\n The prospective purchaser,\u00a0 had the Boise bankruptcy court approved the deal,\u00a0 was to be Jeff Cox,\u00a0 owner of a company called Z&A Management LLC,\u00a0 \u00a0of Caldwell,\u00a0 Idaho.<\/p>\n Cox \u201cowns a 4% stake in SeaQuest through Noveen Capital,\u201d\u00a0 reported Mars King for Pioneer Press<\/em> in St. Paul,\u00a0 Minnesota.<\/p>\n According to the bankruptcy petition, \u00a0gross revenues from the SeaQuest aquariums had dropped from more than $27 million in 2022 to $15 million in 2024, \u00a0following a string of investigations and expos\u00e9s of alleged neglect of animals,\u00a0 injuries to animals and visitors,\u00a0 and violations of both animal care standards and safety codes.<\/p>\n \u201cAttorneys now say SeaQuest and Aaron Neilsen have been unable to find a partner or investor, \u00a0and have no sufficient funds to continue operating,\u201d\u00a0 summarized Darrell Smith for the Sacramento Bee<\/em>.<\/p>\n <\/a> Monitor lizard at SeaQuest Littleton,\u00a0 now closed.\u00a0 <\/strong><\/em>(Beth Clifton collage)<\/strong><\/em><\/div>\n \u201cThe U.S. Small Business Administration, which holds a $3.9 million lien on SeaQuest\u2019s Folsom property, \u00a0would only be paid a small fraction from the [bankruptcy settlement], according to the filing,\u201d\u00a0 Smith added.<\/p>\n \u201cThe hearing for the sale, \u00a0which includes all animals, \u00a0equipment, \u00a0tools, \u00a0furniture and fixtures, \u00a0was expedited,\u201d\u00a0 Mars King said, \u201cbecause \u2018The welfare of certain animals owned and controlled by (SeaQuest) may be in jeopardy,\u2019\u00a0 according to court documents.<\/p>\n <\/a> (Beth Clifton collage)<\/strong><\/em><\/div>\n But People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals [PETA] gave those suspected crocodile tears the seahorse laugh in a response filed on January 29, \u00a02025.<\/p>\n \u201cPETA lawyers filed a brief,\u201d\u00a0 spokesperson David Perle said,\u00a0 \u201casking the court to shut down SeaQuest\u2019s outrageous attempt to use the welfare of the surviving animals in its possession as a bargaining chip to arrange an expedited sale of its business to a company insider for only $80,000\u2014despite owing millions to creditors.<\/p>\n <\/a> SeaQuest founders Vince Covino at left, Ammon Covino at right.<\/strong><\/em><\/div>\n \u201cFollowing a long and sordid history of animal neglect and death at its facilities\u201d\u00a0 Perle continued,\u00a0 SeaQuest \u201chas threatened that if the proposed bargain-basement sale to the insider does not occur by the end of February, \u00a0the welfare of several animals will be in jeopardy\u2014a situation SeaQuest itself created, \u00a0as the Acting United States Trustee accurately pointed out in a motion to convert the case to Chapter 7 and liquidate its assets.<\/p>\n <\/a> (Beth Clifton collage)<\/strong><\/em><\/div>\n \u201cPETA\u2019s legal brief,\u00a0 filed in support of the Acting United States Trustee\u2019s motion and in opposition to SeaQuest\u2019s motion to sell its property,\u201d\u00a0 Perle said, \u00a0\u201cnotes that the proposed sale to an insider with no experience in animal care will do nothing to protect the animals\u2019 welfare\u2014which will remain in danger for as long as SeaQuest remains in business.<\/p>\n \u201cPETA\u2019s brief asks the Court to order a timely public auction of SeaQuest\u2019s remaining assets, which would allow concerned entities the chance to step in and give surviving animals their best shot at receiving the care they need at reputable facilities.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/a> (Beth Clifton collage)<\/strong><\/em><\/div>\n A week after the SeaQuest bankruptcy petition was filed,\u00a0 the company and former SeaQuest marketing coordinator Lana Westbrook on December 19,\u00a0 2024 \u201cjointly filed a motion to dismiss a lawsuit that SeaQuest filed last year, which sought to gag Ms. Westbrook after she spoke out about SeaQuest\u2019s treatment of animals,\u201d\u00a0 Animal Activist Legal Defense Project spokesperson Lauren Gazzola said in a media release.<\/p>\n The Animal Activist Legal Defense Project,\u00a0 at the University of Denver Sturm College of Law,\u00a0 represented Westbrook.<\/p>\n According to a May 24,\u00a0 2024 report on the case by Eric Rasmussen of KTSP Eyewitness News in Minneapolis,\u00a0 \u201cSeaQuest accused Westbrook of violating a nondisclosure agreement she signed when she was hired in 2019.<\/p>\n <\/a> SeaQuest promotional images.<\/strong><\/em><\/div>\n \u201cShe worked for the company for less than a year, \u00a0but it sued Westbrook in September 2023, citing her public criticism of SeaQuest on various social media platforms. \u00a0It also accused Westbrook of providing information to ABC News for a national investigation of SeaQuest in partnership with 5 Investigates.<\/p>\n \u201cWestbrook\u2019s attorneys denied the allegations and pointed out that she never appeared in the national reports that aired on ABC News in February 2024,\u201d\u00a0 Rasmussen recounted.<\/p>\n \u201cOther former employees of SeaQuest in Roseville agreed to speak with 5 Investigates,\u201d\u00a0 Rasmussen said,\u00a0 \u201con the condition of anonymity. Some of them specifically expressed concern about possible retribution from the company because they signed non-disclosure agreements.\u201d<\/p>\n Note:\u00a0 a non-disclosure agreement cannot be invoked to prevent a current or former employee from testifying to law enforcement agencies or in court about alleged crimes,\u00a0 and usually are also void if the signer discusses matters that have already been made public by others.<\/p>\n <\/a> Pyjama sharks & octopus.<\/strong><\/em> The SeaQuest has an extensive rap sheet.<\/p>\n The former SeaQuest aquarium at the Ridgemar Mall in Fort Worth,\u00a0 Texas, \u00a0for instance, \u00a0in October 2024 \u201cclosed permanently,\u201d\u00a0 Fox 4 in Fort Worth reported,\u00a0 after \u201cFort Worth police confirmed it opened an animal cruelty investigation based on complaints from PETA about two dead sharks.<\/p>\n \u201cPETA also claims the Fort Worth location had been cited under the federal Animal Welfare Act for an unsanitary duck enclosure and two guests who were bitten by animals,\u201d\u00a0 Fox 4 added.<\/p>\n \u201cOverall, \u00a0SeaQuest has violated portions of the federal Animal Welfare Act more than 100 times at its locations between 2019 and 2024, \u00a0according to the Humane Society of the United States,\u201d\u00a0 reported Tim Harlow for the Minnesota Star Tribune<\/em> on December 5,\u00a0 2024.<\/p>\n <\/a> (Beth Clifton collage)<\/strong><\/em><\/div>\n \u201cLast summer,\u201d\u00a0 Harlow recounted, \u00a0\u201cThe Humane Society of the United States [HSUS] placed undercover investigators in SeaQuest locations in Fort Worth and Las Vegas. \u00a0In November, the organization released a video showing rodent and maggot infestations near animals\u2019 food and visitors and staff. \u00a0Clips from the two locations showed animals begging for food, \u00a0being stepped on, \u00a0and distressed and running in circles to avoid interactions with people. \u00a0After the society\u2019s investigations, the Texas and Nevada locations shut down.\u201d<\/p>\n Said HSUS director of captive wildlife Laura Hagen,\u00a0 \u201cOur investigations reveal that SeaQuest animals are confined to live in dark, \u00a0hot, \u00a0filthy spaces with no windows, \u00a0fresh air or proper enrichment. \u00a0Basic mental, physical and behavioral health requirements of the animals are simply ignored.\u00a0 Wild animals are surrounded for hours by loud crowds poking and grabbing them, \u00a0day after day.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/a> Vince & Ammon Covino.<\/strong><\/em> ANIMALS 24-7<\/strong> has repeatedly exposed SeaQuest conditions,\u00a0 beginning upon receiving \u00a0anonymously sent \u201cdeath logs\u201d in November 2015,\u00a0 dating to 2013,\u00a0 from the former Portland Aquarium,\u00a0 one of the first facilities developed by SeaQuest founders Vincent and Ammon Covino.<\/p>\n The Oregon Humane Society had investigated some of the allegations sent to ANIMALS 24-7<\/strong> in August 2013,\u00a0 but neither PETA nor HSUS was known to be involved yet.<\/p>\n (See Could SeaWorld survive if founded today?<\/a>, \u00a0The SeaQuest empire, the Covino family, & who is \u201cThe Codfather?\u201d<\/a>, \u00a0Covino SeaQuest Littleton follows duck-billed dinosaurs to extinction<\/a>,\u00a0 Big fish, little fish, red fish, blue fish: hard times for aquariums.)<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n <\/a> Ammon Covino.\u00a0 (Beth Clifton collage)<\/strong><\/em><\/div>\n Vincent Covino,\u00a0 who started SeaQuest in 2012, \u00a0\u201cofficially stepped down\u201d as chief executive on August 8, \u00a02024.\u00a0 His legal issues, \u00a0involving much more than visitor safety and animal care,\u00a0 began long before that.<\/p>\n The Idaho\u00a0Department of Finance in March 2017 fined Vince Covino\u00a0and SeaQuest $5,000,\u00a0 reported Cynthia Sewell of the\u00a0Idaho Statesmen<\/em>, \u00a0\u201cfor failing to disclose a previous securities disciplinary action while selling nearly a million dollars\u2019 worth of membership interests in SeaQuest to investors.<\/p>\n \u201cA former broker, \u00a0[Vince] Covino had been in trouble before over investors\u2019 money,\u201d\u00a0 Sewell explained. \u00a0\u201cHe was registered in Idaho as a securities broker\/dealer from January 1998 through December 2011, \u00a0when his registration was suspended for 30 days after the securities industry\u2019s self-regulation body, \u00a0the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, \u00a0ruled that he had borrowed money improperly from a client to buy a home.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/a> Ammon & Vince Covino.<\/strong><\/em> Ammon Covino,\u00a0 meanwhile, \u00a0ran into trouble originating with the Covino brothers first venture into the aquarium business,\u00a0 as cofounders of the Idaho Aquarium.<\/p>\n The Idaho Aquarium, \u00a0three years in development, \u00a0opened in Boise in December 2011\u2013\u2013the same month in which another cofounder,\u00a0 Christopher Conk,\u00a0 and his ex-wife Deirda Davison,\u00a0 pleaded guilty to trafficking in smuggled coral. \u00a0For that offense Conk was sentenced to serve six years on supervised probation.<\/p>\n The Idaho Aquarium was incorporated as a nonprofit organization. \u00a0While it was under\u00a0 construction, \u00a0Ammon and Vincent Covino in December 2012 opened the Portland Aquarium in Milwaukie, \u00a0Oregon, \u00a0a Portland suburb.<\/p>\n Within less than eight months the Idaho and Portland aquariums both were struggling.\u00a0 Ammon Covino and Conk on September 24, \u00a02013 \u00a0pleaded guilty in\u00a0federal district court in Key West, \u00a0Florida, \u00a0to illegally conspiring to acquire eagle rays and lemon\u00a0sharks from the Florida Keys.<\/p>\nHearing ends without a ruling on petition to sell assets,\u00a0 including animals,\u00a0 to 4% owner<\/em><\/span><\/h2>\n
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
(Beth Clifton collage)<\/strong><\/em><\/div>\nAs many as 7,500 animals left among four locations<\/h2>\n
<\/p>\n<\/p>\nRevenues fell by almost half in two years<\/h2>\n
<\/p>\n<\/p>\nTaxpayers to be left holding the bag<\/h2>\n
<\/p>\n<\/p>\nPETA doesn\u2019t buy it<\/h2>\n
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n\u201cLong & sordid history of animal neglect & death\u201d<\/h2>\n
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\nSeaQuest sued alleged whistleblower<\/h2>\n
<\/p>\n<\/p>\nNever appeared in expos\u00e9s<\/h2>\n
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
(Beth Clifton collage)<\/strong><\/em><\/div>\nExtensive rap sheet<\/h2>\n
<\/p>\n<\/p>\nHSUS undercover investigation<\/h2>\n
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
(Beth Clifton collage)<\/strong><\/em><\/div>\n12 years of investigations & expos\u00e9s<\/h2>\n
<\/p>\n<\/p>\nVincent Covino bailed in August 2024<\/h2>\n
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
(Beth Clifton collage)<\/strong><\/em><\/div>\nTrafficking sharks & rays<\/strong><\/h2>\n