The mission of the Clearwater Marine Aquarium is to rescue marine life, with a goal of releasing animals back into the wild when possible. Animals that can't be released stay on as permanent residents, and the aquarium works with them to educate guests on environmental issues.
Winter the Dolphin at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium
Get to know the Clearwater Marine Aquarium's most famous resident. If you haven't met Winter the dolphin, you'll be touched by her story which had its debut in September 2011 as Clearwater's beloved Winter hit the big screen in the movie Dolphin Tale. Starring Harry Connick Jr., Ashley Judd and Morgan Freeman, the movie was inspired by Winter’s true story. When she was only three months old, she was found tangled and trapped in a crab trap line off the East Coast of Florida. She was rescued and transported to the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, where she would face a long road to recovery.
After losing her tail due to the crab trap entanglement, Winter has defied all odds by not only surviving but learning to swim like a fish. Working with experts at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, she was later fitted for a prosthetic tail and is inspiring children and adults alike who also live with prosthetics. Winter's heartwarming story has been featured in children's books, documentaries, TV shows and is then presented on the big screen in a Dolphin Tale.
Dolphin Tale the Movie
Dolphin Tale was filmed on location in and around Clearwater and at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium. It was produced by Warner Bros. Pictures and Alcon Entertainment, the same studio that delivered The Blind Side. They assembled an all-star cast, including the ones mentioned above as well as movie veteran Kris Kristofferson and newcomer Nathan Gamble. Winter plays herself in the movie, with the aid of computer technology in certain scenes. A new dolphin tank was specifically built to house Winter and accommodate the massive 3D filming equipment needed.
Watch a trailer from the movie here.
New Hope: A New Resident
Not long after the filming of Dolphin Tale was completed in late 2010, the Clearwater Marine Aquarium received a call that a dolphin calf had been found in the Indian River Lagoon on the East Coast of Florida. Five years and a day since the rescue of Winter, the baby calf was transported to the aquarium for rehabilitation after she was found attempting to nurse from her mother who had died. The dolphin calf came off quarantine in early 2011. She is now healthy and enjoying play and session time with her trainers. The new baby dolphin was recently named Hope in a public naming contest. Hope will be sharing a tank with Winter.
Visit the Clearwater Marine Aquarium
Meet all the resident dolphins at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium with the underwater viewing tunnel and expanded dolphin show area. Skim your hand across the back of a ray, marvel at massive sea turtles and shake the fin of a dolphin – it's all there. And, it's not just dolphins and rays. You can meet the aquarium's resident otters, including Cooper, Oscar and Webster.
Educational and Other Programs
In addition to the onsite aquarium experience, the Clearwater Marine Aquarium provides inspiring and educational programs for the whole family, including eco-sealife boat tours, hands-on lectures, guided private tours, behind the scenes tours of labs and rehab areas and various summer camp opportunities.
Aquarium staff and volunteers also monitor area beaches daily, including Clearwater Beach, for just laid sea turtle nests. During the night, from May through September, the 350-pound female Atlantic Loggerhead sea turtles come ashore on area beaches to deposit their eggs. These huge sea turtles make their way out of the water to an area above the high tide line and lay 100 to 120 eggs. Members of the Seat Turtle Patrol stake out and clearly mark the nest area. Hatchlings are typically born within 50-60 days and volunteers man the nests to ensure the turtles make it safely back to the Gulf of Mexico.
