You know how much we love the Clearwater Marine Aquarium (CMA)! Not only is the CMA home to Winter the dolphin from Dolphin Tale 1 & 2, but Hope is there also. Along with the famed bottlenose dolphins, you’ll also find exhibits featuring all of your favorite aquatic wildlife including sharks, rays, sea turtles, pelicans, otter, fish and so much more. The Clearwater Marine Aquarium is not your typical aquarium. This non-profit rescue center focuses on rescue, rehabilitation and release and owes much of its success to its volunteers.
There are many ways to experience the Clearwater Marine Aquarium including behind-the-scenes tours, animal feedings, exploring the waterways on a boat tour, and up-close-and-personal adventures with the resident dolphins and sea turtles.
Did you know that you can have a Dolphin Tale adventure of your own at the CMA? You can! Here are just a few ways to create an awesome experience filled with memories that will last a lifetime.
Take a Photo with Winter the Dolphin
Say cheese! Or maybe fish? Either way, be camera-ready for your moment in the spotlight with Dolphin Tale‘s star, Winter. Step onto the celebrity platform for your photo op with Winter and let the CMA staff photographer do the rest.
As you can imagine, there’s a high demand for this amazing opportunity, so advance registration is required. You can read more about it right here.
Become Winter’s Assistant Trainer
Take your Clearwater Marine Aquarium experience up a notch and become Winter’s assistant trainer. This 30-minute unforgettable experience gives you 15 minutes poolside with the famous dolphin along with opportunities to take part in cognitive behavior sessions, choosing colors and toys f
or Winter, and/or cleaning Winter’s prosthetic tail for her physical therapy session.
No two sessions are the same so it’s guaranteed to be a one-of-a-kind experience that you’ll never forget.
Included in the cost of this experience is aquarium admission, a t-shirt to take home, and a photo. Find out more of the details here.
P.S.- This makes a great gift for someone special! (Just take note of the minimum age requirement of 7 years of age.)
Visit Winter’s Dolphin Tale Adventure
With your paid admission to the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, don’t forget that you also get access to Winter’s Dolphin Tale Adventure facility located at 300 Cleveland Street in Clearwater. Here you can step inside the movie Dolphin Tale and explore behind the scenes of this family favorite film.
You’ll find rebuilt movie scenes, props from the movie, and movie images along with 14 display areas from the set. Visit the Live Touch Tank from the movie and have a hands-on experience with the local aquatic species.
Don’t forget to check out the newest exhibit, Hurricane Experience, which we promise will blow you away!
You can park at either the CMA or at Winter’s Dolphin Tale Adventure and take a complimentary boat ride or shuttle between the two facilities, so leave time for both during your visit.
More Animal Encounters at the CMA
These are only a few of the animal encounter highlights to be had. There are actually 
many more but we don’t have the time or space in this post, so click here and read about all of your Clearwater Marine Aquarium animal encounter options.
Start making your plans now! You’ll be glad you did. You’re supporting an amazing local resource, that’s for certain. Be sure to say hi to Winter for us.
*Photo Credits: SeeWinter.com, Clearwater Marine Aquarium
Have you had any up-close-and-personal experiences with the aquatic life at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium or Winter’s Dolphin Tale Adventure?
We’d love to hear about it!
