St. Pete / Clearwater Beach, Florida:

photos and tips -- See also Introduction to St. Pete / Clearwater Beach

The Clearwater Marine Aquarium

The Clearwater Marine Aquarium is a working aquarium, much involved in sealife rescues. Formerly, its most famous rescued resident was Sunset Sam, a dolphin who loved to paint-- literally; his art was displayed on the Aquarium walls.

More recently, the famous dolphin-in-residence is Winter, the "tail-less dolphin", who now has a prosthetic tail.

Winter was just two months old when she got tangled in a crab trap near Cape Canaveral, and though fortunate to be rescued, she was not expected to survive. But Winter beat the odds, thanks to intensive care at the Aquarium. Though she lost her tail, she taught herself to swim, using a side-to-side motion. Doctors, however, were worried about damage to her spine. (Normal dolphins move their tails up and down.) Fortunately, a prosthetics expert offered to help Winter, and created her unique artificial tail.

Also at the Aquarium: kids might enjoy petting manta rays, seeing rescued turtles and otters, watching dolphin shows, doing a dolphin encounter; or heading out on a Sea Life Safari Eco-Tour. Check the Clearwater Marine Aquarium site for updates! See videos of Winter at the site, as well.