IDAHO FALLS — Six former employees say the East Idaho Aquarium seriously mistreated many animals in its care, which resulted in more than 2,000 animal deaths in the past five years. Aquarium management says the accusations don’t tell the full story.

The whistleblowers are speaking publicly about their experiences at the aquarium and have contacted People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) with concerns about overcrowding, inadequate care for sick fish and a high mortality rate.

“We’re the voice for the animals,” said former husbandry team member Erika Dillon, who worked for the aquarium for six months starting in August 2023. “They can’t speak for themselves. … It was the safety and well-being of the animals that I just was extremely concerned about and still am.”

East Idaho Aquarium Executive Director Arron Faires acknowledges the aquarium’s “growing pains” in the past but said the facility has made dramatic improvements in the last two years, reducing annual animal deaths by more than 73% between 2021 and 2023.

“We put a huge focus on the health of the animals,” he said. “We take those numbers very seriously. … The reality of it is that we have lost those animals, but we are not losing them in those numbers anymore.”

The aquarium, which has operated for seven years at 570 East Anderson Street, is home to 2,143 animals and 204 species. More than 100,000 annual visitors can touch and feed stingrays, giant river fish, saltwater fish, trout, iguanas and more.

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