51-year-old dolphin, PJ, at Clearwater Marine Aquarium dies

CLEARWATER, Fla. - PJ, an estimated 51-year-old bottlenose dolphin, and the oldest dolphin at Clearwater Marine Aquarium, died earlier this week, the Florida aquarium announced.

"We are deeply saddened to share the passing of PJ, our eldest bottlenose dolphin. She was in the loving arms of her animal care and vet teams as she took her last breaths," the aquarium said in a statement. "We did all we could to ensure she was as comfortable as possible during her last moments with us."

PJ was found stranded in Old Tampa Bay in August 2018, rescues, and later joined the aquarium in March 2019, according to its website. She was deemed non-releaseable after her rescue due to various health issues, including hearing loss, vision loss, and arthritis.

"From the instant she arrived at CMA following her rescue, it was clear that her easygoing personality would make her a perfect match for Winter and Hope. She later acted as a motherly figure with our newest rescue, Apollo," a statement read.

The aquarium current has six rescued dolphins: Hope, Nicholas, Hemingway, Apollo, Rudolph, and Rex.