Clearwater Marine Aquarium: Rescuing the Animals Is Its Mission

The Clearwater Marine Aquarium, a non-profit organization and aquarium, has made it its avowed mission to rescue, rehabilitate and release injured and ill marine animals. It is also actively involved in public education, in animal-assisted therapy, and in animal research, among other notable activities.

Opened in 1972 on Clearwater Beach within a former water treatment plant, the aquariums now host numerous forms of marine life, either as permanent or temporary residents. All of the animal residents here have suffered from serious injuries, which significantly reduced their chances of living in the wild or which prevented their return to their natural habitats.

Winter, a bottlenose dolphin, is the aquariums most famous resident as well as the focus of its campaigns. Her serious injuries resulted in the loss of her tail, which the aquarium management resolved by outfitting her with a prosthetic tale.

Today, the Clearwater Marine Aquarium hosts several types of animals including North American river otters, green sea turtles, southern stingrays, great white pelicans, cownose rays, and a wide range of fishes.