It’s not every day that you get to experience both land and sea wildlife up close, but at SeaQuest, that’s exactly what you’ll find.  Not only can you see animals, you can also feed them, pet them, and even swim with some of them.  

Seaquest, located in Folsom’s Palladio shopping center, is a great place for people of all ages to discover the living wonders of our world.  The interactive experiences you have there are enough to inspire anyone to become fascinated by the amazing creatures on this planet.  

The staff at Seaquest is friendly and welcoming, and they make your visit feel personalized.  They are all well-versed about all of the animals, and have taught me something new every time I’ve been.  They are passionate about the animals and spare no effort in making sure that they are always happy, healthy and safe.  For instance, one of their moray eels came to them in need of surgery to remove an eye that had become badly infected.  Their aquatic veterinarian performed the operation underwater so that the eel’s stress level would be as low as possible.  

Some of the encounters are feeding the capybara, the world’s largest rodent, swimming in the ray and small shark tank, and petting their two-toed sloth from the jungles of the Amazon, among others.  I love the capybara and was surprised at how social it was the first time I got to meet it.  I have also gotten to swim with the rays and sharks, and feed them too.  They are not as scary as people often think, just a little bit slimy.  One of the coolest things I got to do was help a staff member target train their blacktip reef shark.  They were training the eels to do the same thing so that each eel (or shark) had a unique mark to come to in order to eat.  Target training can help them recognize any change in the animals’ appetite patterns that could indicate stress or illness.

Although the building is not as extensive as the Sacramento Zoo or the Monterey Bay Aquarium, it provides an accessible environment for people to be around some of the most fascinating animals from around the globe.  

Because it is in a shopping area, and because it is indoors, some of the enclosures are not as big as everyone would like them to be.  However, the team works with what they are given.  For example, the giant tortoise does not have a very big enclosure, so when it is less busy they let him out to walk around the building.  He is very fond of the aquarium tanks and I have witnessed him watching the rays in the small tunnel built for children.  It’s sweet that even other animals are enthralled by nature’s beauty.  

While I love places like the Monterey Aquarium dearly, it is not always possible to travel that far on a weekend.  SeaQuest provides a quick trip near many other fun activities.  And while people are there just for the fun of it, they also have the opportunity to learn things and can be inspired to protect the beautiful creatures they meet for generations to come.