Blog

Kirby the Loggerhead Sea Turtle Released With Satellite Tracker

Updated Jun 28, 2019 | Posted May 15, 2019

225-Pound Loggerhead Sea Turtle Goes Home After Months of RehabClearwater Marine Aquarium released Kirby, a 225-pound endangered loggerhead sea turtle, on Tuesday, May 14, 2019. Kirby is an adult male sea turtle who was found floating near Indian Rocks Beach on...

Over 200 Marine Debris Hazards Removed During 2019 Ghost Trap Rodeo

Updated Aug 21, 2019 | Posted Aug 21, 2019

With the effort of more than 75 participants spread across the six locations, over 200 derelict traps were collected! The Ghost Trap Rodeo successfully aided in improving natural habitats for many marine animals, and hopes to continue making positive change in the Tampa Bay area in the future.

How Scars and Other Body Features Help Identify Dolphins

Updated Aug 19, 2019 | Posted Aug 18, 2019

Dolphins are air-breathing mammals, this means that about 99.9% of the time, when they surface to breathe, their dorsal fin is visible. For our photo-identification efforts, this makes capturing a photo of a fin relatively easy. Let’s consider, however, how one would identify bottlenose dolphins if a dorsal fin was not visible.

Five Pilot Whales Rescued Off Gulf Coast Beach

Updated Aug 14, 2019 | Posted Jul 30, 2019

On July 29, 2019, five pilot whales stranded in the shallow water off Redington Beach, on the Gulf Coast of Florida. Clearwater Marine Aquarium’s Rescue Team responded along with wildlife agencies and local authorities

What Do Different Sea Turtles Eat?

Updated Jul 18, 2019 | Posted Jul 16, 2019

Different Sea Turtle DietsHave you ever been curious about what sea turtles eat? There are seven species of sea turtles in the world, five of which are found around Florida, and they all have different diets. The foods that they eat are determined by their species and...

Learning From a Manatee Research Scientist – Interview With Monica Ross

Updated Jun 28, 2019 | Posted Jun 28, 2019

We spoke with CMA Research Institute's Senior Research Scientist Monica Ross to find out how she became involved with manatee research and what she thinks we can do to protect these amazing marine animals. Interview with Monica Ross, Senior Research Scientist, CMA...

Male Bottlenose Dolphin Pair Bonds Form Long-Lasting Friendships

Updated Jun 23, 2019 | Posted Jun 20, 2019

Wild Dolphin UpdatesThe Bromance of Bottlenose DolphinsHave you ever wanted to hang out with your best friend all the time? Many male bottlenose dolphins get to do this every day! These strong friendships or associations, known as pair bonds, are a common,...

Iconic House Boat Becomes a Thriving Artificial Reef

Updated Jul 23, 2019 | Posted Jun 14, 2019

On Wednesday, April 24, 2019, part of Clearwater Marine Aquarium’s iconic house boat, home to Harry Connick Jr’s character in the Dolphin Tale movies, was transformed into a marine life habitat as part of an artificial reef system in the Gulf of Mexico.

A Special Trip From Argentina to Meet Winter the Dolphin in Florida

Posted Jun 3, 2019

Connecting With Winter Across ContinentsIn 2011, seven-year-old Luciana Soto and her mother Viviana went to see Dolphin Tale in their hometown of Buenos Aires, Argentina. There was no doubt that they felt an instant connection to Winter’s story of survival and...

What Is a Dolphin’s Dorsal Fin Used For?

Updated May 17, 2019 | Posted May 17, 2019

Wild Dolphin Updates Dorsal Fin Use The dorsal fin helps us identify dolphins in our photo ID survey, but let’s think about how it functions to serve a dolphin. Balance The placement of the dorsal fin is thought to stabilize the dolphin in the water like a keel on a...