Amidst Tragic Loss Of Winter, Aquarium Finds Reason To Celebrate - Patch.com

CLEARWATER, FL — In the midst of a difficult holiday season as team members at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium continue to mourn the death of longtime aquarium resident dolphin, Winter, the staff found two reasons to keep the holiday spirit alive.

On the heels of welcoming its newest permanent resident, Apollo the dolphin, the aquarium staff also celebrated the anniversary of dolphin Nicholas' arrival at the aquarium on Christmas Eve 2002.

On Dec. 24, 2002, a male Atlantic bottlenose dolphin calf and his mother were found stranded on a beach near Gibsonton. They were transported to the Florida Aquarium and then relocated to Clearwater Marine Aquarium for long-term medical care.

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In honor of their Christmas Eve arrival, the aquarium named the mother dolphin Noelle and her calf Nicholas.

Sadly, the 380-pound adult female Atlantic bottlenose sustained third-degree burns around her dorsal fin due to being out of the water and in the sun for an extended time. Marine biologists also believed she suffered from a respiratory illness.

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She died three days later. But her baby, Nicholas, recovered after receiving treatment for his sun burn. Unfortunately, he no longer had a mother to teach him how to survive in the wild. The National Marine Fisheries Services decided his best chance at life was at the aquarium, where he's flourished for the past 19 years during which he's gained fame for his an uncanny ability to choose Super Bowl, National Basketball Association championship, Stanley Cup and World Series winners.

This week, just as the aquarium staff announced it was setting up a memorial for the beloved dolphin, Winter, star of the film "Dolphin Tale," starring Harry Connick Jr., Ashley Judd and Morgan Freeman, the aquarium received word that the National Marine Fisheries Services was making the aquarium the permanent home of another bottlenose dolphin named Apollo.

The NMFS, a United States federal agency, is responsible for the stewardship of national marine resources and determines if a rescued animal is a candidate for release or should remain permanently in the care of an aquarium.

"Our team is overjoyed to welcome a new family member to CMA," said Dr. James "Buddy" Powell, executive director of the aquarium, noting that, in addition to Nicholas, aquarium residents Noel and Rudolph were also rescued in the month of December and now make their permanent home at the aquarium.

On May 15, Apollo was found stranded on Playalinda Beach, not far from where Winter and Hope were both rescued. Rescuers noticed that Apollo was thin and had visible parasites on his dorsal fin, pectoral fins and fluke.

After consulting with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries, the Marine Fisheries Service decided to transport Apollo to the Clearwater aquarium for rehabilitation and subsequently agreed the aquarium should be his permanent home.

A hearing test performed by the National Marine Mammal Foundation found that Apollo has less than half of the full range of hearing for a bottlenose dolphin, compromising his ability to echo locate (or swim around without bumping into obstacles.)

Named Apollo after his place of rescue on Florida's Space Coast, the 2-year-old dolphin will live at CMA's Ruth & J.O. Stone Dolphin Complex with dolphins Hope, PJ, Nicholas and Hemingway.

"It is because of the wonderful teamwork, respect and professionalism executed by each organization that took part in Apollo's rescue that he is able to take advantage of this second chance at life," said Powell. "As a working marine life hospital, we are committed to providing the best care possible to each and every animal that needs our help, and we are honored that the National Marine Fisheries chose us as the best home possible for Apollo."

Apollo is a little over 6 feet long and weighs about 200 pounds.

Guests are invited to come welcome Apollo to the CMA family by visiting him at the Ruth and J.O. Stone Dolphin Complex.

In the meantime, the aquarium has set up a memorial to honor Winter.

"When a loved one passes, there is a very real fear that we will forget the sound of their voice or even the way they walked. For those of us who loved Winter, I'm proud to announce that Winter will live on in the physical world as well as the digital world so her signature tweet, demeanor, and personality can never be forgotten," said Powell.

The aquarium has developed a virtual reality experiences at the CMA to keep her memory alive.

"We have the technology available to us where guests will be able to virtually swim with Winter and experience her personality as if she were still alive," said Powell.

Throughout her life, the CMA captured 360-degree videos of Winter and countless two-dimensional images, which will be produced into a virtual reality immersive experience that guests will be able to watch in CMA's virtual reality theater starting in January.

Additionally, there will be a physical memorial for Winter at the aquarium. The aquarium encourages the community and fans of CMA to bring notes, cards and share their stories about how she impacted their lives, or those of a loved one, at an on-site memorial beginning Dec. 26 next to the old Winter Zone where she spent most of her life.

Meanwhile, the aquarium has created Winter's Permanent Legacy Endowment.

"Through a collaboration with the Community Foundation of Tampa Bay, this permanent endowment establishes a long-term sustainability strategy for the future of our organization," said Powell.

Beginning in January, gifts to Winter's endowment will be invested, and a portion of the annual income from the investment will be used to address any immediate needs. The remaining funds will be reinvested to support of CMA.

Winter's cremated remains will be spread in the Gulf of Mexico in January, surrounded by all the staff that cared for her through the years.

"Returning Winter to her natural home is a poetic ending to her incredible 16-year journey, and we couldn't think of a better way to lay her spirit to rest," said Powell.

Winter inspired millions across the world with her message of perseverance. Her story, as told in the films "Dolphin Tale" and "Dolphin Tale 2," resulted in a $2 billion impact to Pinellas County from 2012 to 2015 when the rest of the country was coming out of a recession.

In 2020, the Clearwater Marine Aquarium opened an $80 million expansion including a new 1.5-million-gallon water dolphin habitat providing CMA with the ability to care for more rescued and non-releasable dolphins.

A memorial ceremony in honor of Winter was livestreamed on Nov. 20 and can be seen below:

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