APOLLO MISSION: New dolphin follows Winter to Clearwater

Florida’s Clearwater Marine Aquarium (CMA) has welcomed a new dolphin – Apollo – to its facility, just a month after the Florida facility’s most famous resident, Winter, died. CMA was selected by the US National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) to be the “forever home” to the new rescued male dolphin, who will reside at CMA’s Ruth & J.O. Stone Dolphin Complex where Winter once lived.

Named “Apollo” after his place of rescue on Florida’s Space Coast, the two-year old dolphin succeeds Winter, whose story of survival after an injury that caused her to lose her tail was made into the major motion picture “Dolphin Tale.”

Winter became the signature resident of the CMA, and her death in November was global news.

Like Winter, Apollo was a rescue, found stranded in May on Playalinda Beach, Fla., approximately 32 km. from where Winter was rescued in 2005. Unlike Winter, who was found entangled in a crab trap swimming in Mosquito Lagoon, Apollo was discovered on the beach. Rescuers observed that Apollo was thin and had visible parasites on his dorsal fin, pectoral fins, and fluke. Given his condition, a decision was made to transport the dolphin for rehabilitation at SeaWorld Orlando.

After nearly seven months of intensive treatment and rehabilitation, Apollo’s health improved, but atypical hearing loss meant that the dolphin would be vulnerable if released back into the wild.

With a strong history of marine mammal care, CMA was selected instead to be Apollo’s home.

“We are overjoyed to welcome a new family member to CMA,” said Kelly Martin, VP of Zoological Care at CMA. “Coming off the heels of Winter’s rescue anniversary on Dec. 11 and her death in November, this new dolphin is a burst of new life and energy that our team is so excited to embrace.”

Apollo, who is a little over 1.8-long and weighs approximately 90 kg., joins resident bottlenose dolphins Hope, Nicholas, and rough-toothed dolphin Rudolph at the CMA, along with a host of other creatures, such as sea turtles, river otters, stingrays and a nurse shark.

Clearwater Marine Aquarium non-profit working marine rescue centre dedicated to preserving our marine life and environment while “inspiring the human spirit” through leadership in education, research, rescue, rehabilitation and release.