Winter Revisited




Winter in Panama & Winter's Zone

I wanted to visit Winter again before her movie, "Dolphin Tale," was released, so my mom and I took ourselves to Clearwater Marine Aquarium one recent afternoon.  Would Winter be the same after her starring role and so much publicity, or had she turned into a diva since my last visit? How much had the aquarium changed, and would Hope, CMA's youngest dolphin, be out and about in her tank?  And what cool new stuff would be in the gift shop?

Before heading to Winter and Panama's Zone, Mom and I went through the darkened area where golden-eyed stingrays whiz around their touch tank.  I love those guys, how silky-soft they feel, and it's fun watching them flip their wings as they swim.  Around the corner from the ray tank, we passed a quiet area where through a window we could see a sea turtle recovering from emergency surgery.  As we climbed the stairs to CMA's second level, we could smell the river otters, a mixture of sea creature and litter box. They're stinky, those otters, but they crack me up, because they're so rambunctious and full of life.  Plus, who can resist their liquid black eyes and long whiskers?

In their zone, Winter was swimming around the tank she shares with Panama, but she wasn't as energetic as she usually is.  The aquarium had opened late that day, due to morning press conferences, and it looked like Winter was pooped.  It's not easy being an in-demand star!  Winter was tired enough to skip her afternoon performance/dolphin demo with Panama, and swam into her individual tank.  Panama was up to her usual tricks, though, and Mom and I enjoyed watching her do her thing.  Afterwards, we went to Winter's tank, and watched her for awhile.  She was so relaxed, it made me want to take a nap. 

  

Winter in profile

While we were standing at Winter's tank, a man and young woman walked up next to me, and the guy started telling his companion about Winter, her habits, how friendly she is, how he thought she learned to recognize him during the months it took to shoot "Dolphin Tale."  At first, in my mind, I was thinking, "blah, blah, blah," but the longer I stood there, the more he sounded like he knew what he was talking about.  I didn't know it until later, when I saw his photo on CMA's Facebook page, but that guy was Charles Martin Smith, who directed "Dolphin Tale."  So, I guess he did know a few things about Winter. 

Sleepy Winter

Since Winter was making up both yawn, Mom and decided to move up one more level to watch Nicholas, who definitely was not worn out.  He leaped through the air, chased after toys, and raced around his tank, which had us all laughing and clapping.  There's something incredibly joyous about watching dolphins, because they look like they're having so much fun.  And I'm happy Nicholas has a safe place to live, since he's another one of CMA's resident dolphins who can't be re-released into the wild.

Nicholas

If Winter were ever to have competition in the cute and charm departments, it would be from Hope, CMA's latest rescued dolphin.  Like Winter, she was found injured in the wild, and was brought to CMA to recover.  Still a baby, she's being trained and rewarded with a combination of bottled formula and solid fish.  I'd never seen such a tiny dolphin before, and she really is a sweet thing.  It's reassuring to know she's in good hands, and will flourish and grow ... and maybe have her own movie one day?

Hope

A lot has been written about Winter's prosthetic tail,  how she overcame losing her tail to live a healthy, full life, and what an inspiration she's been to people who've lost limbs.  Well, I'm here to tell you she's also an inspiration and joy to at least one person with Alzheimer's Disease: my mom.  My mom may not remember afterwards she's been to the aquarium, but during the time she's there, she's nothing but smiles.  She loves all the animals at CMA, but Winter is the one she remembers.  That makes me love Winter even more.

And, no, Winter hasn't turned into a movie star diva.  And, yes, there was some cool new stuff in the gift shop.

Update:  I started this entry quite some time ago, and have since seen "Dolphin Tale" twice.  The first time, I thought it was a little too sweet, not that I didn't cry!  But when I watched it again recently, I really appreciated the story - no amount of Hollywood can change what really happened to Winter, and what a great place the Clearwater Marine Aquarium is.

What does everyone else think about the film?  Who's visited Winter at CMA?

Our Winter Star

Once upon a time, there was a little dolphin caught in a crabtrap. But, in this story with a happy ending, she was discovered by a fisherman, who called the Florida Wildlife and Fish Conservation Commission. They, in turn, called the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, a marine hospital and rehabilitation center, where this dolphin, named Winter, was given a second chance at life.

Against all odds, Winter has blossomed at the aquarium. Although she was intact when saved from the crabtrap, Winter later lost her tail. Remarkably, she's learned to swim without one, which doesn't seem to hold her back, but it's damaging her spine. In normal circumstances, she'd use an up and down motion with her tail to propel herself. Her new swim pattern, though, is to move side to side like a fish. Luckily for Winter, prostheses designer, Kevin Carroll, heard about her on the radio, and decided to create a prosthetic tail. After many trials and errors, Kevin's team finally designed a tail Winter can use, and she practices swimming with it every day. Not that Winter always makes it easy. In the words of an aquarium trainer, "the only plan is what Winter has in mind."

Winter shares her tank with an older dolphin named Panama. It took Panama awhile to accept Winter, but she finally caved in to Winter's attention, and who can blame her? There's something infectious about Winter, something beyond her ability to overcome. She almost radiates a kind of happiness, a sense of being carefree. What I loved most about visiting her on this occassion was how uncooperative she was during the aquarium's demo. Winter swam out of her enclosure for a few seconds, then turned around and went back in. Panama wasn't that interested in the crowd, either, but the aquarium is about information, not performance, so it's no big deal. Sticking around paid off, though. Once the crowd wandered away, Panama leapt through the air several times, and Winter swam out to play. They were both the essence of Dolphin: joy.

Winter is truly an inspiration. Not only is she an ambassador for those who need prosthetics, she's living proof we can overcome our obstacles. My friend Anna's 3 year old granddaughter, Eve, thinks every dolphin she sees now is Winter, and when you ask her about Winter's tail, Eve's reply is always, "We have to buy her a new one." Sometimes life really is that simple. Winter has been our star here in Pinellas County since she was a baby, but she's about to go global. A film crew is in the area making "Dolphin Tale," due out in September 2011. We've all heard of the Little Engine that Could. Now, everyone's going to know the Little Dolphin that Could.