Clearwater Marine Aquarium

We picked up some visitors from the St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport, had lunch at Clearwater beach, and went to Clearwater Marine Aquarium (CMA). The animals here have been found injured, are rescued, and then rehabilitated to be released back to their natural habitat. CMA's specialty is with dolphins, sea turtles, and sea otters, to name a few species. Those that can't be released become permanent residents here. What makes this place different from other zoos or aquariums is that each of these animals has a name and a story.


We walked downstairs to look in the windows of the big dolphin tank. This dolphin is one of four permanent residents. His name is Nicholas. The white marks on his back are scars from sunburn. He was stranded as a calf with his mother Noelle on Christmas Eve 2002. His mother did not survive. Nicholas was too young to have learned how to hunt on his own, and has since been a resident here.

Nicholas and a trainer during the dolphin show.

Nicholas looking through the window at Winter. She was very chatty. They say that she is the most vocal dolphin here.

Winter is the most famous resident at CMA. She was found wrapped in a crab trap when she was 3 months old. She lost her tail as a result of her injuries. Winter learned how to swim side to side like sharks do. She has been an inspiration to handicapped people around the world.

A prosthetic tail was developed for her. The new technology developed for the tail has helped improve human prosthetics.

A sea turtle diving. A sign with the name and story for each animal was by their tank.

We enjoyed seeing the animals and seashell displays. Our guests from Ohio had never seen dolphins up close. It's fun introducing people to new experiences.

Admission Fees
Adults $11.00
Children (age 3-12) $7.50
Seniors (age 60+) $9.00

Parking is free.

Clearwater Marine Aquarium also offers boat tours, behind the scenes tours, and dolphin photo ops.

Clearwater Marine Aquarium

We had fun visiting Clearwater Marine Aquarium (CMA) with Abigail and Grandma Apple. It's always interesting to see animals up close that you can only get a glimpse of in a natural setting.

Clearwater Marine Aquarium has a team of first responders to marine life emergencies and specializes in giving medical treatment and rehabilitation to injured animals. The goal is to re-release the animals back to their natural homes. Those that have injuries that make them unable to be released become permanent residents here.


Here is Nicholas the dolphin waving goodbye after a dolphin show. Nicholas was stranded with his dying mother as a calf. He is a permanent resident at CMA.

The most famous CMA dolphin named Winter had injuries so severe that she lost her tail as a calf. Winter was not expected to live, but she refused to give up. She learned to swim without a tail! Today she is an inspiration to amputees and disabled children. The research and development that went into producing a prosthetic tail for Winter has improved the technology for human prosthetic limbs.


These dolphins cracked me up. They were taking turns poking their heads out of the water to look at the people. Their bodies moved straight up and down in the water like yo-yos. Dolphins are such characters.

Clearwater Marine Aquarium is located just over the big white bridge on Route 60 (Clearwater Memorial Causeway) on the right side as you head west towards Clearwater Beach. There are signs along the road. You can't miss it. Drive around the building to the front entrance with the canopy. I highly recommend a visit.

Related Links:
Clearwater Marine Aquarium - Read stories about the individual animals and see release videos.

Dolphins Playing Chicken

I saw dolphins at the beach on Anna Maria Island today. I thought I heard dolphin chatter a few minutes before I saw them. Suddenly there were 2 dolphins jumping in the air facing each other. They must have been playing chicken swimming directly towards each other under water.