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55-397: Clearwater Marine Aquarium opened in 1972 at its current location on Clearwater Beach , in a former water treatment plant (the large pools being well-suited for rehabilitation operations). Numerous forms of marine life are permanent residents at the aquarium, all of which have serious injuries that prevent their return to the wild. The aquarium's best-known permanent resident was Winter ,

110-401: A CT scan at the hospital where Lorraine works. Meanwhile, George Hatton, a USDA inspector, insists that Winter must be matched with a new companion within 30 days or be transferred elsewhere. However, Winter's behavior has become unpredictable, even dangerous; when Sawyer tries to get her out of the tank to prepare to make her a new prosthetic tail, she becomes aggressive and knocks him into

165-543: A bottlenose dolphin who was rescued in December 2005 after having her tail caught in a crab trap . Her injuries caused the loss of her tail, and the aquarium fitted her with a prosthetic tail which brought worldwide attention to the facility. Winter later starred in the 2011 film, Dolphin Tale , and the sequel, Dolphin Tale 2 , shot partially on location at the aquarium. In 1972, a group of private volunteers decided it

220-589: A common sighting of dolphins in the Gulf waters), miniature golf, fishing charters, and "pirate ship" cruises. Clearwater has frequently been ranked one of the best beaches in the United States . Its Sandpearl resort was named one of the best beach resorts in the U.S. In January 2013, Clearwater Beach was awarded the designation of Florida's Best Beach Town by a USA Today reader poll ranking 10 Florida beach destinations. In February 2019, Clearwater Beach

275-400: A hospital than they need to and encourages her to talk with her father. Hazel assertively yet respectfully asks Clay to let her view Mandy's medical records, which he does. Clay, Sawyer, and Hazel test Mandy's readiness by giving her three live fish, which she catches effortlessly, so they reluctantly decide they must release her. Clay puts Hazel in charge of her release. Sawyer and Hazel break

330-452: A perfect fit for a marine facility's needs. In 1979, marine biologist Dennis Kellenberger was hired as CMSC's Executive Director. Kellenberger's main duties were teaching summer camp classes for children and spearheading a massive remodeling effort of the facility. Gradually, the cement and steel building was modified for aquarium purposes and in 1980 was granted a USDA Research Facility permit, allowing it to prepare two 65,000 gallon pools for

385-539: A permanent resident because he did not have the hearing range required for echolocation. Rudy lives with the aquarium's other rough-toothed dolphin, Rosie. Izzy is a female Atlantic bottlenose dolphin and is estimated to be 8 years old. She was rescued in June 2022 in Texas after several years of illegal human interactions. These interactions caused her health to decline to the point that she needed to be rescued and taken out of

440-691: A resort area and a residential area on a barrier island in the Gulf of Mexico in Pinellas County on the west-central coast of Florida , United States. Located just west over the Intracoastal Waterway by way of the Clearwater Memorial Causeway from the rest of the city of Clearwater, Florida , of which it is part, Clearwater Beach is at a geographic latitude of 27.57 N and longitude 82.48 W. Clearwater Beach

495-408: A sign, and Sawyer sends her a text message saying, "Thanks, Hazel. You're the best!", causing her to blush as she smiles to herself, while Rufus returns to the aquarium. As Sawyer, Kyle and Lorraine drive away, Hazel quietly affirms she will really miss Sawyer. Real-life footage shown at the end includes Mandy's actual release, Hope's rescue, a sea turtle named Mavis and her release, Winter wearing

550-503: A significant summer wet season , as nearly two-thirds of the annual precipitation falls in the months of June through September. The area is listed by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) as being in hardiness zone 10 , which is about the northern limit of where coconut palms and royal palms can be grown. Highs usually range between 67 to 89 °F (19 to 32 °C) year-round. Clearwater Beach

605-617: A team of experts to create a prosthetic silicone and plastic tail for her. Winter's story brought international recognition to CMA and inspired two major films, Dolphin Tale and Dolphin Tale 2 , each of which was partially filmed at the aquarium. Clearwater Marine Aquarium currently is home to manatees , North American river otters , Atlantic bottlenose dolphins , Rough-toothed dolphins , green sea turtles , Kemp's ridley sea turtles , cownose rays , southern stingrays , nurse sharks , great white pelicans , and other fish, including gag , hogfish , and red drum . Each permanent resident

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660-856: Is a 2014 American family film written and directed by Charles Martin Smith as the sequel to his 2011 film Dolphin Tale which in-turn was based on the true story about a rescued bottlenose dolphin named Winter who made her final on-screen appearance in this film before her death in November 2021. In addition to Winter, most of the cast from the first film also reprise their roles including Harry Connick Jr. , Ashley Judd , Nathan Gamble , Cozi Zuehlsdorff , Kris Kristofferson , Morgan Freeman , Austin Stowell , Tom Nowicki, Austin Highsmith , Betsy Landin and Juliana Harkavy while Hope made her film debut. It

715-559: Is an Atlantic bottlenose dolphin. For many years, he was the only male dolphin currently residing at CMA. On December 24, 2002, he was rescued with his mother as a 6-month-old calf after both became stranded near Gibsonton, Florida . The mother dolphin died three days later due to respiratory illness. Nicholas remained in critical condition, suffering both from malnourishment and severe sunburns which covered over thirty percent of his body. CMA provided 24-hour care for Nicholas for several months, bottlefeeding him and providing wound care. Nicholas

770-424: Is approximately 20 miles (30 km) from Tampa International Airport and 25 miles (40 km) from downtown Tampa . St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport is also within close proximity of Clearwater Beach. The Clearwater Jolley Trolley has provided transportation up and down the beach since 1982. It currently runs to North Clearwater Beach and down to Sand Key, including Island Estates. Mandalay Avenue

825-759: Is available nearby which parallels the Clearwater Memorial Causeway to the city. Just up the causeway from the Beach, in the Island Estates area, is the Clearwater Marine Aquarium (home of Winter , the bottlenose dolphin featured in the movie Dolphin Tale ), as well as a grocery store and other amenities. 27°58′48″N 82°49′38″W  /  27.979931°N 82.827232°W  / 27.979931; -82.827232 Dolphin Tale 2 Dolphin Tale 2

880-491: Is characterized by white sand beaches stretching for 2.5 miles (4 km) along the Gulf and sits on a barrier island . It has a full marina on the Intracoastal Waterway side and is linked on the south by a short bridge to another barrier island called Sand Key , where Sand Key Park is located. The area offers shopping, restaurants, and activities such as parasailing, jet ski rentals, boat tours (with

935-564: Is located just south of Pier 60. There are drinking fountains, shower nozzles for beachcombers to rinse the sand off, and bicycle racks, as part of the upgrade. It also is a great spot for fishing. Beach "renourishment" efforts such as dune restoration enhance the area's natural beauty along a wide curving sidewalk. In addition, directly across from the pier is the Clearwater Municipal Marina, which offers deep sea fishing and boating activities for visitors. In July 2008,

990-425: Is reluctant to go because he is concerned about leaving Winter. Winter needs attention and shows signs of stress and loneliness, especially after her older companion, Panama, dies from old age. Acting on Rufus the pelican’s erratic behavior one morning, Sawyer and Hazel find and rescue a sea turtle from some fishing line. Rufus becomes obsessed with the sea turtle, named Mavis, to the point he even watches her during

1045-505: Is the main drag on the north end of the beach with Gulfview Boulevard being so on the south. Both areas feature a variety of businesses. Pier 60, named for State Road 60 which terminates in Clearwater Beach, is a central spot for beachgoers and has a playground, a snack bar with attached souvenir shop, and a long fishing pier. There are professional entertainers who perform on the pier every day, along with children's acts. It's

1100-499: The "Stingray Beach" and "Mavis's Rescue Hideaway" exhibits, where they can be touched and fed by aquarium visitors. Clearwater Marine Aquarium's expansion allows for the rescue and rehabilitation of more marine life, creates an enhanced living habitat for the resident non-releasable animals, and provide more space for guests. The expansion triples rescued dolphin habitat space consisting of 5 connecting pools, with approximately 1,500,000 US gallons (5,700,000 L) of water, nearly triple

1155-617: The adjacent waterway for rescue and rehabilitation work. There is a new parking garage consisting of 400 parking spots. These new expansions were opened in October 2020. In early 2024, CMA announced a multi-year expansion plan called "Rising Tides." The first phase of this plan is the Manatee Rehabilitation Center, which welcomed its first manatee patients, Yeti and Zamboni, on July 30, 2024. Notes Sources Clearwater Beach Clearwater Beach includes

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1210-707: The age of 16. PJ (short for Panama Junior, because she has the same hearing problem as former resident Panama) was a female Atlantic bottlenose dolphin who was rescued in August 2018. At approximately 51 years old, she was the oldest of the rescued dolphins at CMA. PJ was found in shallow water in Old Tampa Bay. Although she recovered well, she was deemed unreleasable due to numerous medical issues, including hearing and vision loss, worn teeth, and arthritis. She first lived together with Hope and Winter and later with Hope and Apollo. In October 2022, PJ died of natural causes at

1265-548: The age of 51. Hemingway was a male Atlantic bottlenose dolphin who was found stranded at Fiesta Key , Florida in 2019. After receiving treatment at SeaWorld, he was transferred to the Clearwater Marine Aquarium. Hemingway became a permanent resident at CMA due to health issues and hearing loss. He lived together with Nicholas and also met Apollo. He died in January 2023 at the estimated age of 37. Apollo

1320-478: The aquarium. They are the only aquarium residents that are not native to Florida. Ricky was trained by a film company to play the role of "Rufus" for the films Dolphin Tale and Dolphin Tale 2 . Clearwater Marine Aquarium currently has one loggerhead, nine green sea turtles , and two Kemp's ridley sea turtles . Many of them were rescued by CMA after being hit by boats, entangled in fishing line, or sustaining other permanent injuries that prevent their return to

1375-521: The aquarium’s other rough-toothed dolphin. Winter, the most famous aquarium resident, was a female Atlantic bottlenose dolphin who was rescued December 10, 2005 by Clearwater Marine Aquarium team members and other partners from the Southeast Standing Network after being found caught in a crab trap. She lost her tail due to her injuries. Winter developed a way to swim without a tail in an unnatural side to side motion, but because this

1430-433: The facility's name was changed to Clearwater Marine Aquarium (CMA) to reflect the increasing level of community interaction. In 2005, CMA's most famous permanent resident, a bottlenose dolphin named Winter, was rescued by CMA after being discovered entangled in the ropes of a crab trap. The ropes cut off the blood supply to the dolphin's tail, and resulted in its loss. To give Winter the ability to swim normally, CMA worked with

1485-403: The hopes of eventually being released. The aquarium currently has three North American river otters . Walle was rescued from the wild as an orphaned pup by a private individual, and was transferred to CMA after becoming too dependent on humans. Boomer arrived at the aquarium in 2018 from another facility, and he has become Walle's close companion. The newest otter, Opie, is a young otter kit that

1540-509: The long-anticipated Beach Walk project was completed, featuring a compact pedestrian zone with high-end hotels and condos. The beach is also known for its nightlife scene. Shephard's Beach Resort and the Palm Pavilion Inn are two of the area's popular night spots. There are also several Frenchy's restaurant locations and retail stores including Surf Style and Ron Jon Surf Shop . A paved bicycle trail lined by mangrove trees

1595-477: The movie Dolphin Tale , playing a female dolphin alongside Panama named Christa. He appears in Dolphin Tale 2 , portraying Mandy. He is known for his ability to select the winners of sports match-ups which is part of his enrichment. Rudolph, nicknamed Rudy, is Clearwater Marine Aquarium's first rough-toothed dolphin resident. He stranded off Sanibel Island in December 2019 as a juvenile male. He became

1650-552: The new prosthetic tail, and amputees interacting with Winter. Unlike the first film, the sequel was not filmed in native 3D. Filming began on October 7, 2013, at Clearwater Marine Aquarium in Clearwater, Florida . According to Clearwater Marine Aquarium CEO, David Yates, filming ended on January 22, 2014. It was released on September 12, 2014. The film's first teaser trailer was released on April 11, 2014, attached with theatrical screenings of Rio 2 . A second trailer

1705-483: The new tail designed by Dr. McCarthy. A huge crowd, including George, is present to watch, and eventually the two dolphins accept each other. Everyone rejoices that Winter can stay at CMA now that she has a companion. With his uncertainty about Winter resolved, Sawyer decides to go to the SEA Semester program, but reassures her that he will be back. Hazel says goodbye to him by releasing helium balloons and holding up

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1760-475: The party, Clay is informed that another female dolphin has been rescued and is headed to CMA; one so young that she has not yet learned how to hunt and cannot return to the wild. This offers new hope of companionship for Winter, so they name her "Hope". Meanwhile, Mavis is released, and Rufus follows her out to sea. George gives Clay an extension to keep Winter from being transferred, and CMA tries to introduce Hope as her new companion. When they attempt to introduce

1815-507: The previous amount. This enhanced, more natural habitat is known as the Ruth and J.O. Stone Dolphin Complex, and it welcomed its first non-releasable inhabitants, Winter, Hope, PJ, Nicholas, and Hemingway in 2020. There are new expanded education areas and a total new guest space of 103,000 sq feet, including a new cafe and retail area. CMA is currently researching the ways in which it can utilize

1870-571: The rehabilitation of dolphins and sea turtles. In 1981, the first exhibit room was opened to the public. The room featured old exhibits from the Sea-Orama, a mounted fish exhibit which was formerly on display at the Clearwater Marina. Over the next few years, thanks to individual and corporate donations and immense volunteer efforts, CMSC continued to grow. In 1984, CMSC rescued a stranded Atlantic bottlenose dolphin named "Sunset Sam." This

1925-570: The rules and swim with Winter, who appears to be feeling better. Clay finds them doing so and scolds them, but then states that it does not matter, because George issued an order that Winter be transferred to a marine park in Texas. Meanwhile, Lorraine and Sawyer's friends arrange a going-away party for Sawyer's anticipated participation in SEA Semester, although he still cannot decide whether to go. Dr. McCarthy shows him an old watch which must be tapped to keep ticking, and so encourages Sawyer to "shake it up now and then" and try new things in life. During

1980-421: The site of a daily event called Sunsets at Pier 60 , which includes street performers and musical acts. On the pier itself is a nightly display of goods sold by local artisans such as jewelry, candles, and other gift items. Numerous restaurants and shops can be found adjacent to the beach , whose attractiveness was greatly improved in recent years with a beautification project called Beach Walk. The Beach Walk

2035-469: The staff at Clearwater Marine Aquarium rescue a severely sunburned beached dolphin, named Mandy after a little girl who finds her. A now 14-year-old Sawyer is offered a scholarship to the elite SEA Semester program, which involves three months at sea doing marine mammal research, after impressing his cousin Kyle's advisor Dr. Miguel Arroyo when champion surfer Bethany Hamilton swims with him and Winter. Sawyer

2090-433: The two, Hope panics and circles the pool at high speed, forcing staff members to quickly separate the two dolphins. They realize that Hope had sensed that Winter had no tail and moved differently from other dolphins. Sawyer thinks that a new prosthetic tail might have better results; though Phoebe, Rebecca, and Kat are initially wary of the potential repercussions, everyone agrees. In her second meeting with Hope, Winter wears

2145-607: The water, injuring him. Dr. Clay prohibits Sawyer from swimming with Winter until further notice. Winter spends weeks in isolation, and despite people not being allowed to visit her, Sawyer allows Susie, a new volunteer, and her grandfather to see her. Hazel, who has feelings for Sawyer, becomes slightly jealous due to Sawyer getting attention from another girl. Sawyer and Hazel hope Mandy will become Winter's companion. Mandy's rehabilitation at CMA goes well, so Clay contemplates releasing her soon, causing alarm for Hazel in particular. Lorraine advises Hazel that no one spends any more time at

2200-591: The wild. She arrived at Clearwater Marine Aquarium on November 4, 2022. Today, she lives with Hope and Nicholas in the Ruth and J.O. Stone Dolphin Complex and can often be seen toting around her favorite disc toy. Rosie is the Clearwater Marine Aquarium’s newest resident rough-toothed dolphin . She stranded in February 2023 and, after her rescue, was deemed non-releasable because of her deafness and inability to echolocate. Rosie currently lives with Rudy,

2255-581: The wild. They permanently reside in the "Turtle Cove", "Turtle Bayou", and "Mavis's Rescue Hideaway" exhibits. The aquarium is home to one fully-grown nurse shark , Thelma. A private collector illegally took the shark out of the wild as a young pup. When Thelma outgrew her tank, the collector could no longer care for her and donated Thelma to CMA. At the aquarium, she shares an exhibit with hogfish, red drum , gag grouper , mangrove snapper , black sea bass , common snook , pinfish , red grouper , lookdown , and white grunt . Cownose rays currently reside in

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2310-553: Was a male Atlantic bottlenose dolphin who was found stranded at Playalinda, Florida , in May 2021. He was transported to SeaWorld for rehabilitation because he was thin and had parasites on his dorsal fin, pectoral fins, and fluke at the time of his rescue. During a hearing test administered by the National Marine Mammal Foundation, it was discovered that Apollo suffered from hearing loss. In December 2021, he

2365-470: Was attacked by a dog which left an injury to his right eye. Due to his rehabilitation at another facility, Opie lost instincts necessary to survive in the wild. He was brought to CMA in March 2024 to receive additional veterinary care. All three otters currently reside in the "Otter Oasis" exhibit at Clearwater Marine Aquarium. Four great white pelicans , Ricky, Tyndall, Skylar, and Matthew, currently reside at

2420-512: Was damaging her spinal cord, a prosthetic tail was made especially for her by Kevin Carroll and a team of experts from Hanger, Inc. Winter starred in the 2011 movie Dolphin Tale and the 2014 sequel Dolphin Tale 2 , which was inspired by her story and the sequel inspired on Hope's story. She resided in the Ruth & J.O Stone Dolphin Complex with other bottlenose dolphins Hope, PJ, Nicholas and Hemingway. On November 11, 2021, Winter died at

2475-530: Was deemed non-releasable by National Marine Fisheries and unable to return to the wild due to injuries or other impairments. Once deemed non-releasable, National Marine Fisheries then selected CMA as the best location for their permanent home due to the staff and facilities CMA is able to provide. Hope is a resident dolphin at CMA. In December 2010, she was discovered in the shallows of Indian River Lagoon as an orphaned 2-month-old calf, still attempting to nurse from her mother, who had died after becoming beached. It

2530-599: Was discovered on St. George Island in April 2019; he was about 5 to 7 years old. Because of significant hearing loss, Rex became a permanent resident at the aquarium and lived with Rudolph, the aquarium's other rough-toothed dolphin. Rex died in March 2023. CMA completed its Manatee Rehabilitation Center in the summer of 2024 and welcomed its first patients on July 30, 2024. These patients, Yeti and Zamboni, are juvenile male manatees that were rescued in early 2024 due to cold stress. They are currently under rehabilitation at CMA with

2585-531: Was eventually weaned by the animal care staff at CMA, and his wounds completely healed. Like Hope, it was determined that Nicholas did not make a suitable candidate for release because of his dependent status at the time of his stranding and rehabilitation. He lacks the necessary survival skills, which he could only learn from his mother, to survive in the wild. Nicholas lives in the Ruth & J.O. Stone Dolphin Complex with other bottlenose dolphins Hemingway, Winter (deceased), Hope, and PJ. Nicholas featured briefly in

2640-528: Was named the best beach in the United States and sixth-best in the world by TripAdvisor. With an annual mean temperature of around 75 °F (24 °C), Clearwater Beach has a climate that borders on humid subtropical and tropical savanna . Clearwater Beach experiences hot and humid summers (although somewhat tempered, due to the sea breeze off the Gulf of Mexico ) with frequent thunderstorms ; and warm, but drier winters . The area experiences

2695-533: Was released on Blu-ray , DVD and digital media on December 9, 2014. The film featured two song that were released for the movie including "You Got Me" by Gavin DeGraw and "Brave Souls" by Cozi Zuehlsdorff . At a press conference speaking about the possibilities for a new Clearwater Marine Aquarium, David Yates, the CEO, revealed that discussions have begun towards the development of a third Dolphin Tale movie and

2750-530: Was released on June 13, attached with How to Train Your Dragon 2 . On Rotten Tomatoes , the film has a rating of 67%, based on 79 reviews, with an average rating of 5.9/10; the consensus states: "Much like its predecessor, Dolphin Tale 2 offers animal antics and sweet, old-fashioned drama that the whole family can enjoy." On Metacritic , the film has a rating of 58 out of 100, based on 27 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Dolphin Tale 2

2805-421: Was released on September 12, 2014, and tells the story of another dolphin at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium named "Hope". After Winter's elderly companion and surrogate mother, Panama, dies, Winter's future is in jeopardy, unless Sawyer, Clay, Hazel, and the rest of the team can find a new companion for her. The film received mixed reviews from critics and grossed $ 57.8 million. Three years after saving Winter ,

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2860-540: Was the first dolphin in Florida to survive a beaching. However, due to chronic liver problems, Sunset could not be released into the wild and became CMSC's first resident dolphin. Sunset Sam was taught how to paint as a form of animal enrichment, and the sales of his paintings were used to fund the CMSC's operations and stranding program. In the 1990s, as renovations continued to provide more public area and education programs,

2915-458: Was time to establish a permanent marine biology learning center in the Clearwater area. They were incorporated as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization under the name Clearwater Marine Science Center (CMSC). In 1978, the city of Clearwater agreed to donate the aquarium's current facility, an abandoned water treatment plant, to CMSC. With its huge holding pools and bayside location, the building was

2970-412: Was transferred to the Clearwater Marine Aquarium and became a permanent resident there. At approximately 2 years old, he was the youngest of the resident dolphins at CMA. Apollo was first introduced to PJ and Hope and later met Hemingway and Nicholas, as well as Izzy. Unfortunately, he died in June 2023 at the age of 4 due to hydrocephalus . Rex was one of the aquarium's first rough-toothed dolphins . He

3025-410: Was ultimately determined that Hope did not make a good candidate for release because she was very young and had not learned the necessary survival skills to be out in the wild. Hope co-starred in Dolphin Tale 2 , a sequel to the original movie which dramatized her rescue. Today, Hope lives at the aquarium with Nicholas and Izzy, and she enjoys enrichment items such as squirt guns and bubbles. Nicholas

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