A visit to see Winter the wonder dolphin

Two years ago our group went to the Clearwater Marine Aquarium over the holidays.  Our family has been members in the past and we highly recommend it to all out-of-town visitors.  We prefer this working rehabilitation center to the aquarium in Tampa because it is small, very hands on, and the dolphins that live there are the best ever.

Five years ago the marine aquarium received a rescued female baby dolphin that had gotten caught in a crab trap near Cape Canaveral.  The trap was wrapped around her tail and despite round the clock care the injuries were too extensive and her tail had to be amputated.  All of us in the area followed her story through the news and eventually we were able to see her for ourselves as she grew stronger and learned to swim without her tail.  Winter, named after the season she was discovered, became a permanent resident of the aquarium as she would not be able to survive in the wild without her tail.  You can read her amazing story here.

Long story short, a prosthetic expert heard about the dolphin and agreed to work with the aquarium to make Winter a prosthetic tail.  She learned to wear it and swim with it and works with it several times a day, which visitors to the aquarium can witness.  We did so today as Winter was beginning her exercises as soon as we arrived.

Her story has inspired children and adults alike who have lost limbs and many of them visited Winter at the aquarium.  Eventually the story made it to Hollywood.  Last year the story of Winter was made into a movie that opens next month.  The movie was filmed at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, and we had many sightings of the human stars in the area.  The movie stars Morgan Freeman, Harry Connick Jr. and Ashley Judd to name a few.  The story has been tweaked some for entertainment, but the main story is all there.  It is very exciting, but no more than Winter herself.

I have always loved watching dolphins, and I love when I can get up close to see them.  I use to do that at Marineland, and now I can do that locally.  It is a treat, and because the aquarium got to keep the sets that were built for the movie the facility is really moving forward in what it can do with the animals.

This is Panama another rescued dolphin that has taken Winter under her flippers.

This is Nicholas in the tank built for the movie.

This is the newest resident, Hope, found last December in the very spot that Winter was found.

We spent about two hours at the aquarium visiting the animals.  I always feel really good about dropping money in the place because it all goes back into the facility.  I can hardly wait for the movie.  I'll have to bring plenty of tissues because her remarkable story always makes me cry!