aquarium operator SeaQuest has opened the doors to its latest development, with the new hands-on attraction coming to the Southwest Plaza shopping mall in Littleton, Colorado.

Covering 20,0000sq ft (1,860sq m), the interactive aquarium houses 1,200 animals across 300 species and is designed for children to journey a "Quest of Edutainment", interacting with the centre's residents along the way.

As part of the edutainment experience, education areas through the aquarium will teach visitors about topics including climate change and the importance of conservation work to the environment.

The aquarium is divided into several themed areas – including Caribbean Cove, where visitors can see exotic marine life; the Amazon Rainforest, home to a variety of large tropical birds in a walk-through aviary; and the Egyptian Desert, which has a number of reptiles on display. An area themed on the Great Wall of China also allows visitors to hand feed otters, sharks and eels, while there are interactive stations throughout, with hands-on encounters with the likes of stingrays, capybara, and giant sulcata tortoises. The most immersive experience sees guests snorkel in the aquarium's 45,000-gallon tropical tank.

“SeaQuest is very excited to open this aquarium here at Southwest Plaza,” said Vince Covino, SeaQuest CEO.

"We’re bringing an exciting Quest that every guest takes around the world, and we're happy to have opened our doors.”

The opening is the latest for SeaQuest, which already has attractions in Las Vegas, Fort Worth, Texas, and Layton, Utah. More than 400,000 people visited SeaQuest aquariums in 2017.