Dead on Arrival: Video shows SeaQuest was aware of the risks before shipping animals to Minnesota

SeaQuest is facing new allegations of animal cruelty related to the sudden closure of one of its interactive aquariums in Colorado earlier this year.

Several former employees tell 5 INVESTIGATIONS that several marine animals did not survive when SeaQuest attempted to relocate them from Colorado to Minnesota in February by shipping the animals in the back of a U-Haul truck.

“They showed up in Minnesota frozen to death. They were in blocks of ice,” said a former SeaQuest Roseville employee who asked not to be named for fear of retaliation from the company.

A similar incident at the SeaQuest site in Texas is now part of a criminal investigation by local police.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) complained to authorities after SeaQuest Fort Worth employees captured videos of several dead fish, rays and sharks that were also being trucked from Colorado to Texas around the same time.

“You could be dead'

An internal video message obtained by 5 INVESTEIGATES shows that SeaQuest managers knew it was risky to truck the animals from Colorado to Minnesota in the middle of winter.

“Today (expletive) sucked,” said David Slater, SeaQuest’s former safety director.

Several former employees say Slater sent the video message from Colorado as the U-Haul truck full of animals prepared to leave for Minnesota.

“We need to prepare your team for the possibility that the few sea creatures you have could be dead,” Slater said in the video. “All of them – all of these guys spent a lot of time on their packaging today.”

Slater declined to speak to 5 INVESTIGATES about the video, and no one else from SeaQuest responded to multiple requests for comment.

Former SeaQuest Roseville employees say Slater's dire prediction in the video came true.

“Every single container they opened, the animals were dead,” one said. “It was devastating to know that the animals were given so little care.”

Similar to Texas

The incident is the latest development since 5 INVESTEIGATES and ABC News first uncovered allegations of animal neglect, smearing and endangering the public.

In August, Michelle Sinnott, an attorney for PETA, asked the Tarrant County District Attorney's Office to investigate allegations of animal cruelty at SeaQuest Fort Worth.

“Dozens of marine animals died in plastic bags and likely suffocated when they were improperly shipped via U-Haul to Fort Worth after SeaQuest abruptly closed its Littleton, Colorado, location earlier this year,” Sinnott wrote.

Fort Worth police confirm they received a referral from the district attorney and have now opened a criminal investigation.

The timing of the incident and the details of the allegations are nearly consistent with those described by former SeaQuest Roseville employees to 5 INVESTEIGATES.

“The Colorado site was closed and I don’t know if they had a limited amount of time to get the animals out,” a former employee said. “They have a responsibility to the animals…It was more about, 'How can we save money?' How can we do this quickly?'”

Investigations are expanding

The latest allegations about SeaQuest's treatment of animals come as the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has launched its own investigation into the company's Roseville facility.

The DNR confirms it granted SeaQuest a wildlife exhibit permit in 2019 when it opened at the Rosedale Center mall.

Records obtained show the agency returned to inspect the business twice this year after 5 INVESTIGATIONS first reported concerns about animal and guest safety.

The DNR issued a “notice of violation” to SeaQuest Roseville in late August, but the agency withheld details, citing an ongoing investigation.

U.S. Rep. Betty McCollum (DFL-Minn.) previously called on the U.S. Department of Agriculture to open a federal investigation into SeaQuest, which operates in seven states.

During a recent visit to SeaQuest Roseville in August, a USDA inspector cited the company for inadequate veterinary care, as well as problems with animal enclosures and sanitation issues.

Last month, McCollum introduced a bill that would expand the USDA's enforcement of the Animal Welfare Act to include cold-blooded animals, including fish and other marine life.

Former employees tell 5 INVESTEIGATES they hope this will lead to better protection for people and animals.

“Especially if they close the next SeaQuest, because that’s inevitable at this point,” the former employee said. “I want the DNR to watch, I want the USDA to watch… I want everyone to watch.”