My girls are big fans of Hope and Winter, the dolphins portrayed in the movies Dolphin Tale and Dolphin Tale 2. Winter is a great role model of strength and determination. If you don’t know their story, Winter was 3 years old when her tail became entangled in a crab trap line that cut off the circulation of her tail flukes. She was brought to Clearwater Marine Aquarium and, with the help of the staff, was given a prosthetic tail and fluke and relearned how to swim. Unlike a typical aquarium, Clearwater Marine Aquarium is a working animal hospital and marine life rescue center.
We started our day with a tour of the aquarium with Julia, who was knowledgeable of all the animals and answered all our questions. What struck me most was how committed the staff is to the well-being of all of the animals brought here. They were all quick to answer questions my girls had and if you were looking at an exhibit they would come over and give you facts about the animals like what led them to need help. It was a welcoming environment and we walked away with tons of knowledge about marine animals. The girls couldn’t stop telling my husband all about it over dinner.
Our first stop was to see the surgical suite, where Parmesan and Quark, two juvenile green sea turtles who were brought in the day before, were getting x-rays done. They were already looking much better than they were yesterday and they will receive the best care here.
We also got to peek at the board that lists all the sea turtles being treated and we were happy to see that two turtles who had been here since January, Juliet and Zodiac, were going to be released the next day!
While they are recuperating, turtles have their own personal spots, like having their own hospital rooms. The windows are one-sided glass so they do not get accustomed to being so close to humans.
Next, we got to see the stars of the aquarium…Winter and Hope. They were just as cute as they were in the movie and my girls felt like they were standing next to celebrities. When we got there, they had just started a show where they told about dolphins and demonstrated tricks they could do. Besides helping animals, their objective is to educate the public about marine life.
Winter is an inspiration and a symbol of hope for many people.
Click here to see a video of Winter’s story.
My girls were even able to hold one of Winter’s old tails! Winter has gone through about 80 of them since arriving since she’s constantly growing.
Hope is just as adorable as she was in the movie and she is so playful! She was 2-3 months old when a fisherman found her. She will remain a resident of Clearwater Marine Aquarium because she was very young when found and had not yet learned the necessary skills to survive in the wild.
There are plenty of activities to do while at the aquarium!
Shipwreck Alley: This is the underground viewing area of Winter and Hope. Hope was just as curious about my girls as they were of her.
We loved how excited both dolphins would get when they were both in the same tank. They look like best buds chasing after each other.
Otter Oasis: These otters have a great place to live, that includes a sandy beach and plenty of toys to keep them busy. They are so playful!
Mavis’s Rescue Hideaway: This is where they hold Mavis, another character from the second movie. He’s joined by turtles, stingrays, redfish, hogfish and tarpon to keep him company. Mavis’s actual name is Harold and he has impaired vision so he is a permanent resident of the aquarium.
We loved his friend Ula. When found, she had a shell deformity where instead of having a smooth, rounded shell, it is humped in the middle. She has the ability to dive but is unable to remain submerged due to air trapped in the shell, making her non-releasable. She was so curious and kept coming to look at us.
Rufus Beach: Here you can meet the great white pelicans that were actors in the movie. Rufus is one of our favorite characters and his actual name is Ricky!
These are some of his buddies Skylar, Tyndall and Matthew.
Stingray Beach: This touch tank allows you to pet stingray as they glide by you or you can feed them some fish. Unlike some feeding tanks, these guys love to be pet and will come right up to you!
Turtle Bayou: In this pool, you can see a green sea turtle named Cocoa, and two Kemp’s Ridley sea turtles named Max and Rob.
Shark Pass: Here you can meet Thelma and Louise, gorgeous large nurse sharks that live at the aquarium with some of their little fishy friends.
The third dolphin, Nicholas, won our hearts over. He and his mother were stranded on shore due to his mother’s illness. Unfortunately, his mom didn’t survive so Nicholas found a new home at CMA.
He is the star in the informative, yet fun, dolphin show that takes place at the aquarium. We learned many new facts about bottlenose dolphins and how they train him to help them preform medical procedures. (Look at that view!)
Click here to see a video on Nicholas and his determination.
Tips for a Perfect Day at Clearwater Marine Aquarium
Tickets are: Adults $22.95 Children (ages 3-12) $17.96 Seniors $20.95.
There is food available right outside the aquarium (burgers, pizza, snacks, ice cream, and drinks) but you can not bring food inside the aquarium for the safety of the animals.
Make sure you see some of the informative presentations throughout your day. Check the schedule on your way in and plan your day around it.
Extend your day of fun by adding on a dolphin tour, sea life safari tour, or guided kayak tour.
Want a picture with your favorite animals?
There are some amazing animal care experiences you can book. I think the
Dolphin and Animal Care Assistant would be an unforgettable day.
Hours of operation are seasonal so make sure you check before you go.
Here is a link to the schedule.
Address: 249 Windward Passage, Clearwater, FL 33767
Phone Number: 727-441-1790
Give them a follow!!
Website: https://www.seewinter.com/?_ga=2.197120101.899687984.1522170466-1435901898.1516640667
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SeeWinter
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cmaquarium/?hl=en
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CMAquarium
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/cmaquarium/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/ClearwaterAquarium
A warm thank you to the Clearwater Marine Aquarium for having us as your guests. We had a wonderful day visiting and the staff made us feel so welcomed. As always, all experiences and opinions are that of MyTravelingKids.com.