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“Aquarium was about ready to go belly-up” Without ever jumping through a hoop or sending a trainer soaring with a “rocket hop,” Winter boosted Clearwater Marine Aquarium attendance almost immediately.Įventually Winter brought the aquarium more than quadruple the attendance and six times the revenue per year that the 50-year-old facility had ever enjoyed before her arrival in 2005. Winter’s life may have helped to point the way toward a time in which zoos and marine mammal parks will be rehabilitation facilities and long-term care centers for animals in genuine need of help, not prisons for healthy specimens kept only for exhibition and breeding.
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Winter’s highly unusual capture and life at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium might be said to have made the strongest of cases for keeping in captivity only those animals who cannot be returned to the wild.ĭespite the severity of her injury, which kept Winter from performing spectacular leaps and other stunts commonly performed at other aquariums in dolphin and orca shows, Winter became by far the best-known and most popular dolphin in captivity. Winter the little bottlenose dolphin has captured the hearts of all of us who have visited her at the Aquarium.(Clearwater Aquarium photo) Most popular dolphin in captivity Her list of visitors include children with cancer, in wheelchairs, wearing prosthesis of their own.and wounded fighting men back from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Attendance at the Aquarium has continued to rise since Winter was rescued and brought back to life. Winter is now the star attraction at Clearwater Marine Aquarium. Not only was she able to propel herself with the normal undulations of a bottlenose dolphin, but Dan's design reversed the scoliosis she had developed by her years of trying to swim like a shark. Winter the dolphin was fitted with a prosthetic tail. They burned through $200,000 and 50 prototypes.but, working with Winter's committed trainer, Abby Stone.they got it right!
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Although he knew nothing about dolphins or how to even attach a prosthetic tail to an animal that active.and living in water.he took on the challenge. Kevin Carroll contacted his good friend, Dan Strzempka, who builds prosthetic devices for adults and children in his Sarasota, FL lab.
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Once again, things looked bleak for Winter the bottlenose dolphin until Kevin Carroll, VP for Hanger Orthopedic Group called to say he could make a prosthetic tail for her.
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Winter's tail rotted off.and took three vertebrae with it. The horrific hours she spent trapped by the crap pot lines cut off circulation. Winter the dolphin was transported to Clearwater Marine AquariumĬlearwater Aquarium was selected to care for the little bottlenose dolphin.Īlthough Winter fought hard and survived with the patient caring of veterinarian Janine Cianciolo and head trainer, Abby Stone.her tail did not. It would escape detection by 99% of the normal male population.Ĭalling the emergency number for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Jim Savage set in motion the heroic rescue where he, Teresa Mazza, research assistant for the Hubbs-SeaWorld Reasearch Institute and her friend Claire Surrey (from the FWC) would keep little Winter alive until more sophisticated equipment arrived. A subtle difference that only an acutely observant outdoorsman would notice. Pushing off from Canaveral National Seashore, Jim found Winter the dolphin in extreme distress when he went to investigate a crab pot that was unnaturally facing into the wind. On this extremely cold winter day, with the wind bringing chop to the water ahead of a massive cold front, only one fisherman braved the elements. On December 10, 2005, only two months old and weighing just 68 lbs, Winter fought her way to the surface for short breaths before listing again to the side as she gamely tried to keep from drowning. Trapped in the lines of a crab pot, bleeding, gasping for air, her tail already destroyed by her struggles and lack of circulation to it.little Winter had been abandoned by her family to die all alone. Clearwater, FL is now home to Winter the bottlenose dolphin who was rescued from near-death circumstances in Mosquito Lagoon on the other side of the state. Winter the dolphin is the biggest success story ever at Clearwater Marine Aquarium. Winter The Dolphin Clearwater Marine Aquarium is now home to Winter the bottlenose dolphin