Rest In Peace Winter, 2005-2021

Winter the dolphin was born off the coast of Florida in 2005 where it was expected she would spend her life, traveling with family and friends, occasionally delighting surprised humans as her pod surfaced nearby.

Her life took a very different turn when, at just a couple of months old, she accidentally became entangled in the rope of a crab pot trap.  The entangling rope cut her blood supply to her tail leaving her without a fluke and the ability to survive in the wild.

For the next 16 years, Winter lived at the Clearwater Aquarium in Florida where she was outfitted with a prosthetic fluke she sometimes wore, and became a featured attraction after starring in the film Dolphin Tale.  Sadly, she succumbed to a gastrointestinal infection on November 11, 2021.

Winter’s legacy is more than her public profile or her role as a movie star.  Her story connected with people around the world who could see a version of themselves in her.  Whales and dolphins have an amazing ability to touch our hearts, maybe because they are like us in so many ways.  Rest in peace, Winter, and swim freely now.  You were loved and will be missed by many.

Rest In Peace Winter

2005-2021