AQUATIC, INTERACTIVE

Aquarium, entertainment center to open in Galleria.

SeaQuest, an interactive aquarium and entertainment experience, will open in the Galleria in Fort Lauderdale later this year.

This will be the first Florida location for the family-friendly attraction, to be located at the east end of the mall, near H&M, according to a news release. The attraction will open in November, according to an announcement on FortLauderdale.SeaQuest.com.

Sea life is also on display at the Museum of Discovery and Science in Fort Lauderdale, the Frost Museum of Science in Miami and at the South Florida Science Center and Aquarium in West Palm Beach.

SeaQuest also operates in malls in Layton, Utah; Las Vegas; Fort Worth, Texas; and Littleton, Co. A location in Folsom, Calif., also will open this fall.

The attraction will be home to about 1,200 animals. Visitors can touch and feed sharks, otters, tortoises, birds and other exotic animals, and snorkel with stingrays and reef sharks. The attraction also hosts children’s birthday parties and offers fish spa pedicures.

“SeaQuest is very excited to

build upon our ongoing success with the future opening of our first Florida location at the Galleria at Fort Lauderdale,” said Vince Covino, SeaQuest CEO, in the news release. “We look forward to introducing our one-of-a-kind Quest that allows guests to experience animals from around the world in a top resort destination such as Fort Lauderdale.”

Tickets are half off at fortlauderdale.visitseaquest.com. Prices range from $29.95 to $99.95 for annual passports.

SeaQuest adds to the mix of retail and dining options at the mall, joining Powerhouse Gym opening this summer and the Florida Children’s Theater. New retailers and restaurants include fashion jewelry retailer Mimmic Bijuterias, B. Bungalow, which sells beauty, hair and home products, and Apricot Lane fashion boutique. A Stefano Versace Gelato also has opened in the food court, with Stewart’s Restaurant coming soon. Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurants is scheduled to open in early 2019.

SEAQUEST/COURTESY This will be the first Florida site for SeaQuest’s family-friendly attractions, and is set to open in November at the east end of the Galleria.