Popular tourist attraction stunned by death of beloved mascot

Winter the Dolphin, who resided at Clearwater Marine Aquarium, inspired two feature films and the rebranding of a beachfront hotel.

By Brian Hartz
| 7:58 a.m. November 12, 2021
| 0 Free Articles Remaining!

Courtesy. Winter the Dolphin, a major tourist draw at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, died Nov. 11 at the age of 16.

Tampa Bay-Lakeland

CLEARWATER — The Clearwater Marine Aquarium and its fans far and wide are mourning the loss of Winter the Dolphin, the famous porpoise with a prosthetic tail who was rescued in 2005 and rehabilitated at the aquarium, becoming a major tourist draw along with Hope, another rescued bottlenose dolphin.

According to a news release, Winter was 16 years old at the time of her death, which has been attributed to an unspecified gastrointestinal infection. She became ill on Nov. 1 and her condition gradually worsened over the following days, despite the best efforts of CMA animal care experts.