I have loved Winter since the first movie and then to follow thru the webcams. I was at CMA when Winter died, it was always my dream to go there. We had the pass that let us go by the medical pool and saw Winter in there, my heart broke when I learn the following day she died. My dream was always to be marine vet, that didn't come true but now I know that dolphins are my spirit animal. Continue to swim free, and enlighten us mere mortals.

We will miss you forever sweet angel dolphin 🐬💙🙏

Your Michigan friends Diane & Denton

I am taking a Creative Writing Class and wrote this in October.  My husband passed in 2022 but I remember many happy times at the aquarium and thank you, once again, for all the good work  you do there.  Ann Dix, Annapolis, MD.

WINTER AND HIS NEW TAIL

The child’s giggles were echoing through the water with a dolphin’s squeak interlaced.

The little boy was so completely overwhelmed by being beside the dolphin and, it appeared, vice

versa! The dolphin had been fitted with an artificial tail and the little boy was wearing an artificial

right leg. It was marvelous to watch the dolphin interact with the little boy and vice versa.

We were at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium in Clearwater, FL. We had a three week timeshare in

Palm Harbor, a few miles to the north of there. It was years before the country, and, I

assume, the world, became aware of Winter, the dolphin, with the release of two motion

pictures based on his story.

It was pure happenstance the first time we met Winter. We had all put our names in a fish bowl and

the Aquarium employee drew our name and, walla, we had tickets to the Aquarium, a beautiful

rescue and release facility that takes in abandoned or injured sea life They have all types of sea critters

from the dolphins to otters to sea turtles.

We became enamoured with Winter, joined the Aquarium and returned again and again. Working

with a nearby manufacturer of artificial limbs, they went through several Iterations of a tail before

finally settling on the best. It took months of work with him so that he would use the new tail

correctly, as other dolphins did. Eventually, Winter caught on and was swimming happily with his

fellow dolphins.

That’s when someone on the staff came up with the idea of introducing Winter to boys and girls who’d

lost limbs. Winter was such a friendly dolphin and took immediately to the children. With the help of

some very patient and skilled trainers, Winter seemed to understand his purpose. We were fortunate

enough to see these encounters take place many times.

Once the dolphin and the child met in the water, a trainer would tell the child, and those gathered

nearby, how Winter had been found, the search for his tail and how now he could now swim with his

friends. We witnessed many light-bulb moments when children realized that, if Winter could do

what he’d done, they could do the same.