CLEARWATER MARINE AQUARIUM
HOME OF WINTER & HOPE
Clearwater Marine Aquarium
Home of Winter & Hope
7-12-2015
Click to mute sound
On a beautiful Sunday morning, we had seven cars with 19 members and guests meet at Publix on Anderson Rd. in Tampa and travel to Cheddars for lunch. Great food and lots of it. We then left for the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, home of the dolphins, Hope and Winter and many other sea creatures. Debbie had purchased our tickets ahead of time and that gave us more time to find parking! We all went at our own pace through the multi-level facility and saw the surgery, rehab, and food prep as well as the underwater tanks with nurse sharks, and assorted fish and the main wet area for the dolphins training and show. We also viewed the documentary on how the baby female dolphin, Winter was rescued and transported from the east coast waters via truck straight, nonstop to Clearwater.
-Nancy R
Note : Music playing is "Dolphin Dance" from the motion picture Dolphin Tale
Our group ready to head out
Debbie, Randy, Nancy, Jim & June & Willie E
A very popular stuffed toy
. . . and this moray eel
Ya gotta have sharks in an aquarium
This is why we're here
One of the dolphins
A trainer with one of the dolphins
First stop - Cheddars for a good lunch
Evelyn & Elliana (on right) and friends.
View out to the harbor
There were turtles
Aquatic clowns - Otters
Click to hear Hope and Winter say "Let's play."
A trainer and a turtle
Randy, Justin (Willie's son) and Willie L (Don't listen to rumors - Justin did NOT try on that artificial tail)
Rich, Willie, Justin, Dave, Carol, Suzy, Jim S & Marge
Clearwater Marine Aquarium
Lots of sea critters - like this hermit crab
This little guy was broke and had to be fixed
Sting rays
Can you say "Awwww"
The performance pool
And, THAT's The End of a dolphin's tail
Click here to learn how Winter lost her tail and of treatment she received. Pretty amazing.
Click here to watch trainers attending to Winter