Winter became internationally famous for her story told through the movie Dolphin Tale.Īfter the release of Dolphin Tale movie, CMA established a second facility called Winter's Dolphin Tale Adventure (WDTA) in downtown Clearwater. See our Winter the Dolphin page for more. One of the most famous Dolphins associated with CMA is Winter who captured our hearts with her story of near death, rescue and survival. Update: It is with sadness that we report Winter the dolphin has succumbed to an gastrointestinal abnormality and died on. To the delight of visitors, these animal enrichment activities provide entertainment as well! Playing with new toys, puzzle feeders, squirt guns (yes squirt guns!), swimming and jumping challenges, painting (past dolphin resident Sunset Sam), interaction with staff and even guests are some of the constantly changing activities to keep the Dolphins stimulated and active. This is particularly important for the intelligent Dolphins. These Dolphins are well cared for by staff and volunteers.īeyond physical and medical care, CMA staff work hard to provide Animal Enrichment activities as part of the overall well-being for the animals. CMA usually accommodates a number of Dolphins - some temporary pending recovery and release - others as permanent residents who can't be released.
While there are a number of interesting exhibits at CMA, by far it is the Dolphins who are most captivating. It's facility includes several large tanks that accommodate rescued Dolphins as well as sharks, turtles, otters and even a stingray pool. For those marine animals whose recovery is insufficient to allow them to survive in the wild, they are cared for at their new CMA home.ĬMA has operated since 1972 at its location near Clearwater Beach. Clearwater Marine Aquarium (or CMA for short) is a non-profit facility dedicated to rescue, rehabilitation and release of sick or injured marine animals.