Fort Worth aquarium deaths prompt investigation

PETA called earlier this month for a criminal investigation into an interactive Fort Worth aquarium after the reported deaths of sharks and dozens of other sea animals.

In a letter sent Aug. 12 to Tarrant County District Attorney Phil Sorrells, the animal rights organization blamed the deaths at SeaQuest on “egregious and chronic failure to provide animals with basic care.” Three former employees-turned-whistleblowers described conditions such as severe overcrowding, too-small enclosures and poor water quality, according to a report by PETA.

The whistleblowers, who were not named, detailed several accusations against SeaQuest.

A spokesperson for the Tarrant County District Attorney’s Office confirmed to several local media outlets that the information was sent to the Fort Worth Police Department, which also confirmed an inquiry has been started.

Among them: Two nurse sharks, housed in an overcrowded tank with about 10 other animals, stopped eating and began behaving erratically, pacing the enclosure and swimming into the tank’s walls. Employees alerted SeaQuest executives, who dismissed their concerns, the report said. The sharks, Icarus and Achilles, died in the spring. A necropsy conducted by two of the whistleblowers found the sharks died of starvation.

In February, dozens of fish died during transport from the company’s shuttered Littleton, Colo., aquarium to Fort Worth. The animals were moved in black trash bags or coolers, some with very little or too-cold water. Among the dead fish were stingrays and a grey smooth-hound shark.

In March, koi fish were left in a tank for four hours after a filtration pump failure led to a spike in ammonia, resulting in the death of four fish.

Zelco, a blacktip reef shark, is struggling to swim due to a curved spine that is growing worse due to confinement in a too-small enclosure.

SeaQuest did not respond to an email or message sent through the company’s website Tuesday, nor did it answer phone calls at the aquarium’s Fort Worth location.

PETA’s letter comes days after the company’s CEO, Vince Covino, announced his resignation amid growing scrutiny of the treatment of animals at the chain’s aquariums. In addition to Texas, SeaQuest has locations in California, Nevada, New Jersey and Utah, among other states.

“I have so much love and have been through so many difficult things, as we’ve had our fair share of challenges,” Covino said in the video. “Some of those I’ve brought on myself just through mistakes, but as you know, always doing my best. I’m thrilled with the direction this company is moving going forward.”

An investigation earlier this year by ABC News found federal and state government agencies cited SeaQuest locations more than 80 times in the last five years for issues ranging from potential disease hazards to the inadequate care of animals, which in some cases led to animal deaths.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has previously cited the Fort Worth location for cramped, unsanitary conditions, including filthy animal enclosures and floors. In one case, four otters were housed in a tank designed for two. In another, a porcupine enclosure was so dirty the animal couldn’t avoid its own excrement while moving around.

SeaQuest opened in Fort Worth in 2017 on the ground floor of Ridgmar Mall, part of a multimillion dollar plan to remake the struggling shopping center. The interactive aquarium allows guests to feed otters, snorkel with stingrays, and pet a sloth, according to its website.