Memorial service for Winter the Dolphin: How to watch
Winter is seen with her famous prosthetic tail in this file image courtesy of Clearwater Marine Aquarium.
LAKE MARY, Fla. - Clearwater Marine Aquarium (CMA) is hosting a memorial service on Saturday evening to celebrate the life of Winter the Dolphin.
The private memorial will be held for all CMA community partners and elected officials. This event will be live-streamed on WintertheDolphin.com and on the CMA YouTube and Facebook pages.
The 16-year-old Winter was being treated for a gastrointestinal infection, but her condition quickly deteriorated. On Thursday, Nov. 11, CMA staff were preparing another round of treatment for Winter when her vital signs and behavior began to decline. She died around 8 p.m. that evening.
Winter first arrived at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium in 2005 after she was caught in a crab trap line in Mosquito Lagoon near Cape Canaveral. At just 2 months old, she survived – but her tail didn’t.
She was rescued and sent to the aquarium. Since she was found in December, it only made sense to name her "Winter." That year was the start of an inspirational story that touched people across the world.
Rather than swimming up and down like a normal dolphin, she was swimming side-to-side. The experts at the aquarium knew it could cause long-term problems if they didn’t find a solution soon.
Two years later, Winter was fitted with a prosthetic tail made just for her. Her tale became a comfort to those of all ages who also have prosthetic limbs. It inspired the book 'Dolphin Tale' and eventually the 2011 hit movie, which chronicled her recovery story. A sequel, Dolphin Tale 2, was released three years later.