SeaQuest Las Vegas — Attraction in Winchester

SeaQuest in Las Vegas was wonderful! We had a bit of a hard time finding the place, as it was inside a mall which was tucked behind a shopping center, but once we found it, it was great and a really fun experience for all ages! Now, I don't know anything about saltwater fish, but I am the freshwater fish expert! If you're into that, they had TONS of absolutely stunning Discus, Oscars, Peacock Cichlids, Auratus Cichlids, and even giant Pacu, Iridescent Sharks, Red-Tailed Catfish, and they even had a little Common Plecostomus and probably my favorite...the Silver Arowanas!! My favorite freshwater tank was probably the nano planted community aquarium, which had Flying Foxes, Cardinal Tetras, Green Neon Tetras, Black Neon Tetras, Glowlight Tetras, a male Guppy, Ghost Glass Catfish, and a few other little odd-balls. The freshwater section was certainly my favorite, but the saltwater sections were absolutely stunning as well!! They had a Puffer fish, Eels, Seahorses and Pipefish, and little snake-worm-like creatures that dug into the sand, among so much more!! There were even small Sharks, Stingrays, Mantarays, and so much more!! They even had a saltwater petting area which consisted of mainly Urchins, Starfish, Anemones, and even little Shrimps! And it's not just fish...there were also a couple of mammals, lots of birds like Budgerigars, Lovebirds, and Silkies, some reptiles like Tortoises and Beardied, and even a Capybara that was pretty worn out after a long day. To me, it seems like they rescued all of these animals from abuse or neglect situations, or simply of somebody couldn't take care of their pet anymore. The reason why I say this is because there were a lot of animals with deformities and a lot of very large fish! Like the eel with a deformed jaw, or the Toucan with the destroyed left side of his beak! And as us aquarists know, that tiny 3" Iridescent Shark you saw at Walmart is going to get 4 ft long, and that Plecostomus you got at PetSmart is going to get over 2 ft long...so yeah, I'm pretty sure they take in unwanted, abused, or neglected animals (just like I once did!). Anywho, if any of this sounds awesome to you, I highly recommend visiting this place! I took tons of pictures (which they perfectly allowed) and we had so much fun! Seriously, check this place out...you won't regret it!! Also, check out the 63 photos I took below! They're really awesome!...

We had my daughters birthday party here this past weekend. It was horrendous! They use the party room for storage and the carpets are gross! It is not difficult to get carpets cleaned so why wouldnt they make sure they are cleaned before a weekend of parties. They had groups of people/workers coming in during our party to look in the storage area like they were training. The party host was rude and I got complaints from our family and friends about how rude he was. They said the curtains hanging in the space were a fire hazard and could not be closed to block off the storage. Why arent the curtains fire retardant? We literally had to push the chair storage back ourselves so it wasnt right behind our guest tables in the pictures. They said we could not go in for set up until 15 minutes prior which is fine but we were still waiting to be taken back to party area 3 minutes before our party was supposed to start. Upon arrival we asked if the mermaid was available that we requested they told me no. A few minutes later I heard them talking about a message they got from corporate about our mermaid request so they told my husband they were going to make it happen for no additional fees. The host then pulled me out of the party room like 30 minutes later to go pay for the mermaid or they weren't going to do it. The host made sure they kicked us out of the room on time and that the next client was in 15 minutes early even though they didnt do that for us. We had to rush everything. I do not recommend the Las Vegas Seaquest for birthday parties at all! Not to mention alot of exhibits were closed or under construction. There was literally poop all over the floor by the playground doors. This was just a horrible experience. I emailed seaquest 3 days ago with no response and I have been calling for 2 days and I cant reach anyone! You are looking for an amazing birthday experience for your child, THIS IS NOT...

This is definitely the worst aquarium I have ever visited. So why the two stars? Well let's start with the positives:

Ultimately I feel that my 3 year old did enjoy this place overall. So, if you're in the area and desperate for a way to entertain your very young children, this could be a viable option There are some quite exotic animals that can be found here This place makes me appreciate all the other aquariums I've visited much, much more

And now for why it's the worst. For one, the smell. I don't know how other aquariums do it but usually you don't get this dank, humid, swampy odor at an aquarium, yet this one exudes it profusely. Also, the exhibits don't seem particularly well maintained. The glass is foggy or stained, and it is apparent how old these tanks are. Last, but certainly not least, it doesn't feel as if the animals are thriving here. Now, at any facility where animals are kept, there are obviously limitations that you have to work around, but any aquarium or zoo that genuinely cares about its animals will ensure that their happiness and care is paramount. After all, these should be places where one comes to appreciate nature and all its strange and wonderful creatures.

Attached are some pictures of animals here that made me sad. One is an axlotl that I'm pretty sure is dead, just tucked away in a corner of one of the dark rooms. Another is a shark, cramped into a tank which is small for its size, along with a moray eel and some random fish (can't imagine they like being each other's only roommates). And lastly, a sad little wallaby huddled in a corner of its small house

Because of all these reasons, I am quite surprised by how high a rating this place has (4.7 stars at the time of writing this). I suspect a bit of foul play here

Overall, would not take my...