Clearwater Marine Aquarium

Last updated
Clearwater Marine Aquarium
View of Clearwater Marine Aquarium - panoramio (1).jpg
Clearwater Marine Aquarium
27°58′37″N82°49′09″W / 27.97686°N 82.81907°W / 27.97686; -82.81907
Date opened1972 (As Clearwater Marine Science Center)
Location Clearwater, Florida, United States
No. of species59
Volume of largest tank1.5 million gallons
Annual visitors750,000 [1]
Major exhibits17
Website www.cmaquarium.org

Clearwater Marine Aquarium is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, [2] [3] and aquarium in Clearwater, Florida. It is dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation and release of sick and injured marine animals, public education, conservation, and research.

Contents

Clearwater Marine Aquarium opened in 1972 at its current location on Clearwater Beach, in a former water treatment plant (the large pools being well-suited for rehabilitation operations).

Numerous forms of marine life are permanent residents at the aquarium, all of which have serious injuries that prevent their return to the wild.

The aquarium's best-known permanent resident was Winter, a bottlenose dolphin who was rescued in December 2005 after having her tail caught in a crab trap. Her injuries caused the loss of her tail, and the aquarium fitted her with a prosthetic tail which brought worldwide attention to the facility. Winter later starred in the 2011 film, Dolphin Tale , and the sequel, Dolphin Tale 2 , shot partially on location at the aquarium. [4]

History

In 1972, a group of private volunteers decided it was time to establish a permanent marine biology learning center in the Clearwater area. They were incorporated as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization under the name Clearwater Marine Science Center (CMSC). In 1978, the city of Clearwater agreed to donate the aquarium's current facility, an abandoned water treatment plant, to CMSC. With its huge holding pools and bayside location, the building was a perfect fit for a marine facility's needs. In 1979, marine biologist Dennis Kellenberger was hired as CMSC's Executive Director. Kellenberger's main duties were teaching summer camp classes for children and spearheading a massive remodeling effort of the facility.

Gradually, the cement and steel building was modified for aquarium purposes and in 1980 was granted a USDA Research Facility permit, allowing it to prepare two 65,000 gallon pools for the rehabilitation of dolphins and sea turtles. In 1981, the first exhibit room was opened to the public. The room featured old exhibits from the Sea-Orama, a mounted fish exhibit which was formerly on display at the Clearwater Marina. Over the next few years, thanks to individual and corporate donations and immense volunteer efforts, CMSC continued to grow. In 1984, CMSC rescued a stranded Atlantic bottlenose dolphin named "Sunset Sam." This was the first dolphin in Florida to survive a beaching. However, due to chronic liver problems, Sunset could not be released into the wild and became CMSC's first resident dolphin. Sunset Sam was taught how to paint as a form of animal enrichment, and the sales of his paintings were used to fund the CMSC's operations and stranding program.

In the 1990s, as renovations continued to provide more public area and education programs, the facility's name was changed to Clearwater Marine Aquarium (CMA) to reflect the increasing level of community interaction. In 2005, CMA's most famous permanent resident, a bottlenose dolphin named Winter, was rescued by CMA after being discovered entangled in the ropes of a crab trap. The ropes cut off the blood supply to the dolphin's tail, and resulted in its loss. To give Winter the ability to swim normally, CMA worked with a team of experts to create a prosthetic silicone and plastic tail for her. Winter's story brought international recognition to CMA and inspired two major films, Dolphin Tale and Dolphin Tale 2 , each of which was partially filmed at the aquarium.

Animals

Clearwater Marine Aquarium currently is home to manatees, North American river otters, Atlantic bottlenose dolphins, Rough-toothed dolphins, green sea turtles, Kemp's ridley sea turtles, cownose rays, southern stingrays, nurse sharks, great white pelicans, and other fish, including gag, hogfish, and red drum. Each permanent resident was deemed non-releasable by National Marine Fisheries and unable to return to the wild due to injuries or other impairments. Once deemed non-releasable, National Marine Fisheries then selected CMA as the best location for their permanent home due to the staff and facilities CMA is able to provide.

Dolphins (Current)

Hope

Hope is a resident dolphin at CMA. In December 2010, she was discovered in the shallows of Indian River Lagoon as an orphaned 2-month-old calf, still attempting to nurse from her mother, who had died after becoming beached. It was ultimately determined that Hope did not make a good candidate for release because she was very young and had not learned the necessary survival skills to be out in the wild. Hope co-starred in Dolphin Tale 2 , a sequel to the original movie which dramatized her rescue. Today, Hope lives at the aquarium with Nicholas and Izzy, and she enjoys enrichment items such as squirt guns and bubbles. [5]

Nicholas Bottlenose dolphin, Nicholas, Clearwater Marine Aquarium, Clearwater, Florida 3.jpg
Nicholas

Nicholas

Nicholas is an Atlantic bottlenose dolphin. For many years, he was the only male dolphin currently residing at CMA. On December 24, 2002, he was rescued with his mother as a 6-month-old calf after both became stranded near Gibsonton, Florida. The mother dolphin died three days later due to respiratory illness. Nicholas remained in critical condition, suffering both from malnourishment and severe sunburns which covered over thirty percent of his body. CMA provided 24-hour care for Nicholas for several months, bottlefeeding him and providing wound care. Nicholas was eventually weaned by the animal care staff at CMA, and his wounds completely healed.

Like Hope, it was determined that Nicholas did not make a suitable candidate for release because of his dependent status at the time of his stranding and rehabilitation. He lacks the necessary survival skills, which he could only learn from his mother, to survive in the wild. Nicholas lives in the Ruth & J.O. Stone Dolphin Complex with other bottlenose dolphins Hemingway, Winter (deceased), Hope, and PJ. Nicholas featured briefly in the movie Dolphin Tale , playing a female dolphin alongside Panama named Christa. He appears in Dolphin Tale 2 , portraying Mandy. He is known for his ability to select the winners of sports match-ups which is part of his enrichment.

Rudolph

Rudolph, nicknamed Rudy, is Clearwater Marine Aquarium's first rough-toothed dolphin resident. He stranded off Sanibel Island in December 2019 as a juvenile male. He became a permanent resident because he did not have the hearing range required for echolocation. Rudy lives with the aquarium's other rough-toothed dolphin, Rosie. [6]

Izzy

Izzy is a female Atlantic bottlenose dolphin and is estimated to be 8 years old. She was rescued in June 2022 in Texas after several years of illegal human interactions. These interactions caused her health to decline to the point that she needed to be rescued and taken out of the wild. She arrived at Clearwater Marine Aquarium on November 4, 2022. Today, she lives with Hope and Nicholas in the Ruth and J.O. Stone Dolphin Complex and can often be seen toting around her favorite disc toy. [7]

Rosie

Rosie is the Clearwater Marine Aquarium’s newest resident rough-toothed dolphin. She stranded in February 2023 and, after her rescue, was deemed non-releasable because of her deafness and inability to echolocate. Rosie currently lives with Rudy, the aquarium’s other rough-toothed dolphin. [8]

Dolphins (Past)

Winter, a dolphin at the aquarium Winter tailless bottlenose dolphin.jpg
Winter, a dolphin at the aquarium

Winter

Winter, the most famous aquarium resident, was a female Atlantic bottlenose dolphin who was rescued December 10, 2005 by Clearwater Marine Aquarium team members and other partners from the Southeast Standing Network after being found caught in a crab trap. She lost her tail due to her injuries. Winter developed a way to swim without a tail in an unnatural side to side motion, but because this was damaging her spinal cord, a prosthetic tail was made especially for her by Kevin Carroll and a team of experts from Hanger, Inc. Winter starred in the 2011 movie Dolphin Tale and the 2014 sequel Dolphin Tale 2 , which was inspired by her story and the sequel inspired on Hope's story. She resided in the Ruth & J.O Stone Dolphin Complex with other bottlenose dolphins Hope, PJ, Nicholas and Hemingway. On November 11, 2021, Winter died at the age of 16. [9]

PJ

PJ (short for Panama Junior, because she has the same hearing problem as former resident Panama) was a female Atlantic bottlenose dolphin who was rescued in August 2018. At approximately 51 years old, she was the oldest of the rescued dolphins at CMA. PJ was found in shallow water in Old Tampa Bay. Although she recovered well, she was deemed unreleasable due to numerous medical issues, including hearing and vision loss, worn teeth, and arthritis. She first lived together with Hope and Winter and later with Hope and Apollo. In October 2022, PJ died of natural causes at the age of 51.

Hemingway

Hemingway was a male Atlantic bottlenose dolphin who was found stranded at Fiesta Key, Florida in 2019. After receiving treatment at SeaWorld, he was transferred to the Clearwater Marine Aquarium. Hemingway became a permanent resident at CMA due to health issues and hearing loss. He lived together with Nicholas and also met Apollo. He died in January 2023 at the estimated age of 37. [10]

Apollo

Apollo was a male Atlantic bottlenose dolphin who was found stranded at Playalinda, Florida, in May 2021. He was transported to SeaWorld for rehabilitation because he was thin and had parasites on his dorsal fin, pectoral fins, and fluke at the time of his rescue. During a hearing test administered by the National Marine Mammal Foundation, it was discovered that Apollo suffered from hearing loss. In December 2021, he was transferred to the Clearwater Marine Aquarium and became a permanent resident there. At approximately 2 years old, he was the youngest of the resident dolphins at CMA. [11] Apollo was first introduced to PJ and Hope and later met Hemingway and Nicholas, as well as Izzy. Unfortunately, he died in June 2023 at the age of 4 due to hydrocephalus. [12]

Rex

Rex was one of the aquarium's first rough-toothed dolphins. He was discovered on St. George Island in April 2019; he was about 5 to 7 years old. Because of significant hearing loss, Rex became a permanent resident at the aquarium and lived with Rudolph, the aquarium's other rough-toothed dolphin. Rex died in March 2023. [13]

Manatees

CMA completed its Manatee Rehabilitation Center in the summer of 2024 and welcomed its first patients on July 30, 2024. These patients, Yeti and Zamboni, are juvenile male manatees that were rescued in early 2024 due to cold stress. They are currently under rehabilitation at CMA with the hopes of eventually being released. [14]

North American river otters

The aquarium currently has three North American river otters. Walle was rescued from the wild as an orphaned pup by a private individual, and was transferred to CMA after becoming too dependent on humans. Boomer arrived at the aquarium in 2018 from another facility, and he has become Walle's close companion. The newest otter, Opie, is a young otter kit that was attacked by a dog which left an injury to his right eye. Due to his rehabilitation at another facility, Opie lost instincts necessary to survive in the wild. He was brought to CMA in March 2024 to receive additional veterinary care. All three otters currently reside in the "Otter Oasis" exhibit at Clearwater Marine Aquarium. [15]

Pelicans

Four great white pelicans, Ricky, Tyndall, Skylar, and Matthew, currently reside at the aquarium. They are the only aquarium residents that are not native to Florida. Ricky was trained by a film company to play the role of "Rufus" for the films Dolphin Tale and Dolphin Tale 2 .

Sea turtles

Clearwater Marine Aquarium currently has one loggerhead, nine green sea turtles, and two Kemp's ridley sea turtles. Many of them were rescued by CMA after being hit by boats, entangled in fishing line, or sustaining other permanent injuries that prevent their return to the wild. They permanently reside in the "Turtle Cove", "Turtle Bayou", and "Mavis's Rescue Hideaway" exhibits.

Sharks

The aquarium is home to one fully-grown nurse shark, Thelma. A private collector illegally took the shark out of the wild as a young pup. When Thelma outgrew her tank, the collector could no longer care for her and donated Thelma to CMA. At the aquarium, she shares an exhibit with hogfish, red drum, gag grouper, mangrove snapper, black sea bass, common snook, pinfish, red grouper, lookdown, and white grunt.

Stingrays

Cownose rays currently reside in the "Stingray Beach" and "Mavis's Rescue Hideaway" exhibits, where they can be touched and fed by aquarium visitors.

Expansion

2020

Clearwater Marine Aquarium's expansion allows for the rescue and rehabilitation of more marine life, creates an enhanced living habitat for the resident non-releasable animals, and provide more space for guests. The expansion triples rescued dolphin habitat space consisting of 5 connecting pools, with approximately 1,500,000 US gallons (5,700,000 L) of water, nearly triple the previous amount. This enhanced, more natural habitat is known as the Ruth and J.O. Stone Dolphin Complex, and it welcomed its first non-releasable inhabitants, Winter, Hope, PJ, Nicholas, and Hemingway in 2020. There are new expanded education areas and a total new guest space of 103,000 sq feet, including a new cafe and retail area. CMA is currently researching the ways in which it can utilize the adjacent waterway for rescue and rehabilitation work. There is a new parking garage consisting of 400 parking spots. These new expansions were opened in October 2020.

"Rising Tides"

In early 2024, CMA announced a multi-year expansion plan called "Rising Tides." The first phase of this plan is the Manatee Rehabilitation Center, which welcomed its first manatee patients, Yeti and Zamboni, on July 30, 2024.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marine mammal</span> Mammals that rely on marine environments for feeding

Marine mammals are mammals that rely on marine (saltwater) ecosystems for their existence. They include animals such as cetaceans, pinnipeds, sirenians, sea otters and polar bears. They are an informal group, unified only by their reliance on marine environments for feeding and survival.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Aquarium (Baltimore)</span> Aquarium in Baltimore, Maryland, USA

The National Aquarium – also known as National Aquarium in Baltimore and formerly known as Baltimore Aquarium – is a non-profit public aquarium located at 501 East Pratt Street on Pier 3 in the Inner Harbor area of downtown Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. Constructed during a period of urban renewal in Baltimore, the aquarium opened on August 8, 1981. The aquarium has an annual attendance of 1.5 million visitors and is the largest tourism attraction in the State of Maryland. The aquarium holds more than 2,200,000 US gallons (8,300,000 L) of water, and has more than 17,000 specimens representing over 750 species. The National Aquarium's mission is to inspire conservation of the world's aquatic treasures. The aquarium's stated vision is to confront pressing issues facing global aquatic habitats through pioneering science, conservation, and educational programming.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rough-toothed dolphin</span> Species of mammal

The rough-toothed dolphin is a species of dolphin that can be found in deep warm and tropical waters around the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shedd Aquarium</span> Aquarium in Chicago, Illinois, United States

Shedd Aquarium is an indoor public aquarium in Chicago. Opened on May 30, 1930, the 5 million US gal aquarium holds about 32,000 animals and is the third largest aquarium in the Western Hemisphere, after the Georgia Aquarium and Monterey Bay Aquarium.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Georgia Aquarium</span> Public aquarium in Atlanta, Georgia, United States

Georgia Aquarium is a public aquarium in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. The aquarium exhibits hundreds of species and thousands of animals across its seven major galleries, all of which reside in more than 11 million US gallons (42,000 m3) of water. It was the largest aquarium in the world from its opening in 2005 until 2012 when it was surpassed by the S.E.A. Aquarium in Singapore and the Chimelong Ocean Kingdom in China; the Georgia Aquarium remains the largest aquarium in the United States and the sixth largest in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dolphinarium</span> Aquarium for dolphins

A dolphinarium is an aquarium for dolphins. The dolphins are usually kept in a pool, though occasionally they may be kept in pens in the open sea, either for research or public performances. Some dolphinariums consist of one pool where dolphins perform for the public, others are part of larger parks, such as marine mammal parks, zoos or theme parks, with other animals and attractions as well.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vancouver Aquarium</span> Aquarium in Canada

The Vancouver Aquarium is a public aquarium located in Stanley Park in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. In addition to being a major tourist attraction for Vancouver, the aquarium is a centre for marine research, ocean literacy education, climate activism, conservation and marine animal rehabilitation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New England Aquarium</span> Aquarium in Boston, Massachusetts, United States

The New England Aquarium is a nonprofit organization located in Boston, Massachusetts. The species exhibited include harbor and northern fur seals, California sea lions, African and southern rockhopper penguins, giant Pacific octopuses, weedy seadragons, and thousands of saltwater and freshwater fishes. In addition to the main aquarium building, attractions at Central Wharf include the Simons Theatre and the New England Aquarium Whale Watch. More than 1.3 million guests visited the aquarium each year prior to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Minnesota Zoo</span> Zoo in Apple Valley, Minnesota, USA

The Minnesota Zoo is an AZA-accredited zoo in Apple Valley, Minnesota. The zoo is one of two state-supported zoos in the United States, with the other being the North Carolina Zoo. When it opened on May 22, 1978, it was fairly revolutionary in its exhibit design. The zoo, built in a suburbanizing rural area, had more space to house exhibits and was one of the first zoos to organize its animals by their living environment as opposed to their species.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mote Marine Laboratory</span> Non-profit organisation in the USA

Mote Marine Laboratory is an independent, nonprofit, marine research organization based on City Island in Sarasota, Florida, with additional campuses in eastern Sarasota County, Boca Grande, Florida, and the Florida Keys. Founded in 1955 by Eugenie Clark in Placida, Florida, it was known as the Cape Haze Marine Laboratory until 1967. The laboratory aims to advance marine science and education, supporting conservation and sustainable use of marine resources. A public aquarium and associated education program interpret its research for the public.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SeaWorld San Antonio</span> Theme park in San Antonio, Texas

SeaWorld San Antonio is a 416-acre (168 ha) marine mammal park, oceanarium and animal theme park in the Westover Hills District of San Antonio, Texas, on the city's west side. It is the largest of the three parks in the SeaWorld chain owned and operated by United Parks & Resorts. As North America's largest marine-life theme park, and one of the world's largest marine-life theme parks, it is focused on conservation, education and animal rescue. It is a member of the Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks and Aquariums (AMMPA) and is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Marine Mammal Center</span> Zoo in California, United States

The Marine Mammal Center (TMMC) is a private, non-profit U.S. organization that was established in 1975 for the purpose of rescuing, rehabilitating and releasing marine mammals who are injured, ill or abandoned. It was founded in Sausalito, California, by Lloyd Smalley, Pat Arrigoni and Paul Maxwell. Since 1975, TMMC has rescued over 24,000 marine mammals. It also serves as a center for environmental research and education regarding marine mammals, namely cetaceans, pinnipeds, otters and sirenians. Marine mammal abandonment refers to maternal separation; pups that have been separated from their mother before weaning. At the center, they receive specialized veterinary care: they are diagnosed, treated, rehabilitated and ideally, released back into the wild. Animals in need of assistance are usually identified by a member of the public who has contacted the center. These animals represent the following major species: California sea lions, northern elephant seals, Pacific harbor seals, northern fur seals, Guadalupe fur seals, Hawaiian monk seals, and southern sea otters. On a few occasions, TMMC has taken in Steller sea lions and bottlenose/Pacific white-sided dolphins. The only non-mammals that TMMC takes in are sea turtles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Texas State Aquarium</span> Aquarium in Corpus Christi, Texas, United States

The Texas State Aquarium is a nonprofit aquarium located in Corpus Christi, Texas, United States. The aquarium aims to promote environmental conservation and rehabilitation of the wildlife of the Gulf of Mexico and has been accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) since 1995. Currently the largest aquarium in Texas and also one of the largest aquaria in the United States.

<i>Dolphin Tale</i> 2011 film by Charles Martin Smith

Dolphin Tale is a 2011 American 3D family drama film directed by Charles Martin Smith and written by Karen Janszen and Noam Dromi. It stars Harry Connick Jr., Ashley Judd, Nathan Gamble, Kris Kristofferson, Cozi Zuehlsdorff in her film debut, and Morgan Freeman. The book and film are inspired by the true story of Winter, a bottlenose dolphin that was rescued in December 2005 off the Florida coast and taken in by the Clearwater Marine Aquarium. In the film, Winter loses her tail after becoming entangled with a rope attached to a crab trap, and must be fitted with a prosthetic one in order to swim naturally again.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Winter (dolphin)</span> Bottlenose dolphin (2005–2021)

Winter was a bottlenose dolphin at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium in Clearwater, Florida, United States, and was widely known for having a prosthetic tail. Winter was the subject of the 2009 book Winter's Tale, the 2011 film Dolphin Tale, and its 2014 sequel.

Kevin Carroll is an Irish prosthetist, researcher, educator, and author. He is the Vice-President of Prosthetics for Hanger Clinic, a prosthetics and orthotics provider in the United States.

<i>Dolphin Tale 2</i> 2014 American film

Dolphin Tale 2 is a 2014 American family film written and directed by Charles Martin Smith as the sequel to his 2011 film Dolphin Tale which in-turn was based on the true story about a rescued bottlenose dolphin named Winter who made her final on-screen appearance in this film before her death in November 2021. In addition to Winter, most of the cast from the first film also reprise their roles including Harry Connick Jr., Ashley Judd, Nathan Gamble, Cozi Zuehlsdorff, Kris Kristofferson, Morgan Freeman, Austin Stowell, Tom Nowicki, Austin Highsmith, Betsy Landin and Juliana Harkavy while Hope made her film debut. It was released on September 12, 2014, and tells the story of another dolphin at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium named "Hope". After Winter's elderly companion and surrogate mother, Panama, dies, Winter's future is in jeopardy, unless Sawyer, Clay, Hazel, and the rest of the team can find a new companion for her. The film received mixed reviews from critics and grossed $57.8 million.

Caroline Kole is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist who began performing under the stage name Suite Caroline.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Veterinary prosthesis</span> Prosthetic devices for animals

A veterinary prosthesis is a medical device that takes the place of an absent body part for an animal. These devices are created with the intention of mimicking the body part to serve the same purpose and functionality. The design of new animal prosthesis is driven by the needs of individual animals in consideration with environmental requirements and attachment sites.

References

Notes

  1. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-08-27. Retrieved 2014-03-11.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  2. "About Us". Archived from the original on 2014-02-10. Retrieved 2014-02-01.
  3. "Form 990|Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax 2010|CLEARWATER MARINE AQUARIUM INC" (PDF). 990s.foundationcenter.org/. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2014-02-02. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
  4. McCarthy, Ellen (September 23, 2011). "Movies: True story behind Dolphin Tale". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on January 22, 2015. Retrieved March 7, 2012.
  5. "Hope the Dolphin". Clearwater Marine Aquarium. 2023-10-12. Retrieved 2024-05-20.
  6. "Rudolph the Rough-Toothed Dolphin". Clearwater Marine Aquarium. 2024-01-08. Retrieved 2024-05-20.
  7. "Izzy the Dolphin". Clearwater Marine Aquarium. 2023-09-25. Retrieved 2024-05-19.
  8. "Rosie the Dolphin". Clearwater Marine Aquarium. 2024-02-10. Retrieved 2024-05-19.
  9. Evans, Jack; Tracey, McManus (November 11, 2021). "Winter, star of the 'Dolphin Tale,' dies in Clearwater". Tampa Bay Times. Times Publishing Company. Archived from the original on 2021-11-12. Retrieved November 11, 2021.
  10. Clearwater Aquarium [@CMAquarium] (2023-01-23). "Our team is heartbroken this morning. At approximately 1:30 a.m. today our beloved rescued dolphin Hemingway passed away, surrounded by his Animal Care and Veterinary teams" (Tweet) via Twitter.
  11. "Clearwater Marine Aquarium Welcomes New Rescued Resident Dolphin Named "Apollo"". Clearwater Marine Aquarium. December 14, 2021. Archived from the original on December 14, 2021. Retrieved December 14, 2021.
  12. "Apollo the Dolphin". Clearwater Marine Aquarium. 2023-06-21. Retrieved 2024-05-19.
  13. Clearwater Aquarium [@CMAquarium] (2023-03-07). "It is with heavy hearts that we announce the sudden passing of resident rough-toothed dolphin, Rex. It was our privilege to care for Rex, he was loved by our CMA family and guests from around the world" (Tweet) via Twitter.
  14. "Manatee Rehabilitation Center". Clearwater Marine Aquarium. Retrieved 2024-08-13.
  15. "Otters". Clearwater Marine Aquarium. 2024-04-25. Retrieved 2024-05-20.

Sources