Hello!

 

We are former husbandry employees that worked at SeaQuest in Woodbridge NJ. SeaQuest is an interactive aquarium company with 10 locations around the US, all inside of malls. The company’s “goal” is to promote interaction between people and animals to create “unforgettable” memories, but after working there for years we came to learn that was far from the truth. While the company puts on that face to make people think they’re supporting conservation and a good cause, behind the scenes we witnessed horrible acts of neglect and abuse committed by the company. Animals being fed inadequate diets, animals getting hurt or sick and not being given appropriate vet care, animals dying due to the conditions they’re housed in (and also the lack of vet care), exhibits that were crudely built and falling apart allowing for animals to escape, animals obtained illegally, animals stressed out for the sole purpose of making money off unknowing guests, and employees being mistreated and disliked for speaking out. 

 

 

The company is continuing to grow, and the owner Vince Covino has bragged about his wealth and his cars while our budget for the animals was limited and many times we were denied purchase orders for supplies due to the budget. Employees have had hours cut to save the company money. Animals have been denied vet care, especially emergency vet care, due to costs, all while Vince lives a rich life. 

 

 

Employees have been disliked and mistreated for bringing up concerns too frequently, and the GM of Woodbridge himself, Dennis, is quoted as saying he “doesn’t want to air our dirty laundry” to the directors that oversee the facility and has berated employees for bringing up concerns with exhibits in animal related chats. He himself has tried to censor what we were able to post in these animal chats, including animal injuries, moves, and deaths, despite having no animal background and no authority to do so. 

 

 

 

 

Barely anything is monitored at SeaQuest. The iguana exhibit is left unlocked for guests to freely enter and do as they please which had led to animals being thrown in concrete floors, picked up and held for photos (and act that is illegal in NJ), stepped on, grabbed, fed outside food, and guests themselves have been bitten. The COO Chuck demanded that this exhibit be unstaffed, and got angry at us one day when he found out we secretly put someone in the exhibit to protect the animals. Similarly, no touch tanks are monitored, and no staff is present in each section with the purpose of monitoring exhibits. Guests have thrown trash in exhibits, tried to hit and spit on animals, have removed animals from touch tanks, stuck their arms in tanks that are dangerous, and have even trespassed into exhibits. 

 

 

 

 

The site has a roach problem, and when staff started noticing it we informed management who didn’t seem to take it seriously until it spiraled out of control. Despite the fact that it was so bad, the company has us do Sleeping with the Sharks events where guests would unknowingly pay to sleep over with roaches. We had a group of guests wake up horrified and demand a refund, and although the company had to refund them, they tried to book more. It was only until an ex employee called the health department and told them exactly where to look that they saw how bad it was and threatened us with shut down. Before this, employees were expected to act like pest control and go around the aquarium cleaning roaches. 

 

 

 

 

This is only some of the atrocities that happened at SeaQuest, and with the company growing they are focusing more and more on exploiting the animals for profit. Animals are pulled from their enclosures daily to be paraded around. Guests have to pay to even just pet these animals, and in many instances guests have been allowed to hold regulated species, which is illegal.

 

 

New Jersey is supposed to be a no contact state, according to the Animal Exhibitor permits, guests should not be allowed to have direct contact with these animals, and yet they do every single day. Why is Fish and Wildlife allowing this? Especially when guests repeatedly get hurt?

 

 

 

 

 

USDA and Fish and Wildlife have only slapped SeaQuest with a few citations, something that is shrugged off. Real action needs to be taken, they need to send veterinarians and animal welfare associates to fully inspect each animal and the facility. Management lies and distracts officers who come to inspect, so I don’t think these agencies know the full scope of what’s happening behind the scenes.

 

 

 

Please encourage NJ Fish and Wildlife and USDA to investigate thoroughly and put a stop to this suffering. Us ex employees think about these animals every day and without the public’s help we are powerless to take them on alone! The company is growing more and more and has more locations planned, let’s send the message that New Jersey is no place for mall petting zoos!

How Else Can You Help?

Putting pressure on agencies to act and investigate is crucial, and is employees need the public’s help to do so. You can submit an animal welfare complaint on the USDA website, be sure to specify SeaQuest in Woodbridge NJ. You can also call or email NJ Fish and Wildlife, the Health Department, and contact the Humane Society. Lastly, you can leave a review for SeaQuest Woodbridge AND the Woodbridge Center Mall where it is located and let them know why you won’t be supporting them. Most of their reviews were bought in exchange for prizes, so that fancy 4.7 star review they have on Google is a LIE. 

YOU can help make a difference, let’s get this abomination taken out of our state!

USDA complaint form: https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/animalwelfare/complaint-form