by Sunny
Most 8 year old girls are easily won over by the following: mermaids, kittens, dolphins, and unicorns. MJ recently discovered the movie Dolphin Tale, which tells the true story of a young dolphin named Winter who was found caught in a crab trap and rescued. Her tail was later amputated due to the amount of damage from being tangled in the trap. She learns to swim without it and is also given a prosthetic tail so she could once again swim like a dolphin. MJ has seen it at least 20 times. And counting. I had remembered seeing it years ago when it was first released, but hadn’t really sat down to watch it with MJ, yet.
One day we were sitting side by side on the couch, MJ on her iPad, and me on my phone, when it hit me. I was researching our Spring Break resort in North Redington Beach near Clearwater, Florida, and I hear MJ’s movie reference the Clearwater Marine Aquarium. I glance over to her screen and sure enough, I see the name Clearwater across the front of the building where the movie characters are going in to see Winter. Hmmm….true story, Clearwater Marine Aquarium…MJ sees me looking and tells me at the end of the movie there is a website called seewinter.com.
I’m on it. And she’s right. That’s the website to the real Clearwater Marine Aquarium. Where the real Winter lives today. And just like that, we are going to see Winter on Spring Break!
After spending a day at the beach, MJ and I set out for the CMA around 4pm. Pulling into the parking garage we were surprised by the amount of people flocking to see Winter. The lines were wrapped around herders, but luckily I had purchased our tickets online and we were able to skip the biggest part of the line. Once inside, the aquarium was packed full of visitors hoping to catch a glimpse of the celebrity resident.
The main attraction.
MJ got to touch a replica of the tail they use for Winter’s therapy sessions. She doesn’t wear it all the time, so most visitors get to see her swim without it as we did that day. She is paired with another dolphin, Hope, but their tank is known as The Winter Zone. Everyone packs in to see Winter. The view from the top of the tank is good, but seeing her swim and float from the underwater viewing area is best. We even got to see her interact during a session with the trainers. Just brace yourselves for the crowds. Being patient will eventually get you a good spot. MJ could’ve stayed there all day watching the dolphins, but I was able to pry her away to see some of the other animals as well.
A replica of Winter’s prosthetic tail.
There was an otter, some sea turtles including Mavis from the Dolphin Tale sequel, and sting rays that you were encouraged to reach in and pet. There is a even a dolphin resident that lives on the roof named Nicholas. However, none of them compare to the hype around Winter.
The boat ride around the harbor was fun, especially if you have a Dolphin Tale fan with you. You get to see Hazel’s houseboat complete with crow’s nest and the area where they filmed the final scene.
The primary purpose of the facility is a rescue and rehabilitation center. Many of the tanks and habitats were empty, which is good – those animals have been rehabilitated and released back into the wild. We got to peek into an operating room, and see the kitchen where the animals’ meals are prepared.
During the busy Spring Break season in Florida, Clearwater Marine Aquarium had some amazing specials. The normal price per visit is over $20, but after 4 pm, the price dropped to $10. We also added a boat cruise around the harbor for an additional $8 which included a knowledgeable guide, trivia game, and popsicles. Knowing that the CMA is nonprofit and that the fees are going back into helping animals is great, but it’s pricey. The CMA is small. The staff is wonderful, and MJ had a ball, but just know that you probably won’t spend more than an hour or two, more on a crowded day, less on a slow day. But for an 8 year old, dolphin-obsessed girl, it was easily the best part of the trip