Announcements

Clearwater Marine Aquarium opened its Manatee Rehabilitation Center today, heralding a significant milestone for the Aquarium. This state-of-the-art facility will help accommodate the surge in manatees requiring care. CMA will provide assistance to sick, injured or orphaned manatees which includes individuals affected by habitat loss, boat strike wounds, ingestion of foreign objects, entanglements and cold stress syndrome. Equipped with the latest technology, including ozone treatment and medical habitats with false bottoms, the center is designed to ensure the comfort and well-being of these gentle sea creatures.

Clearwater Marine Aquarium will offer two new movies next week – “Turtle Odyssey” and “T-Rex,” beginning Saturday, Aug. 17. The 25-minute-long movies will run between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m., as an added guest experience in the Visitor Center’s Dolphin Tale Theater.

Clearwater Marine Aquarium’s Sea Turtle Conservation Team is now hosting VIP Ride-Alongs Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings through Sept. 20. Join two of CMA’s sea turtle nesting biologists on their daily patrol and become fully immersed in the field and see the work that CMA does with sea turtles firsthand.

Experience a tropical luau at Clearwater Marine Aquarium’s end-of-summer Aquatic Luau celebration. Enjoy live entertainment, Hawaiian cuisine and marine life in an enchanting atmosphere Saturday, Aug. 17 from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m., as part of the Aquarium’s after-hours series, offering guests a unique waterfront experience.

Clearwater Marine Aquarium’s sea turtle nesting team documented a rare Leatherback sea turtle nest in Pinellas County back in May. Last week the CMA team found that the Leatherback turtle nest had hatched!

Clearwater Marine Aquarium will present its Shark Week lineup for the week of July 7-14 and it’s got quite a bite to it. CMA will introduce guests to one of its new veterinarians, Dr. Chelsea Anderson, who has a decade of experience in elasmobranch (shark and rays) health care, and will help educate guests about the medical management of sharks during a routine ultrasound and why conservation of sharks is important.

Join Clearwater Marine Aquarium on Saturday, July 13, as we transform the Aquarium into a neon paradise that recreates the ‘80s. Lace up your skates and hit the rink for some freestyle fun in front of the Window of Wonder (make sure you wave to our resident dolphins on the other side of the Window). From 7 to 10 p.m., guests will create unforgettable memories at this totally tubular event!

Clearwater Marine Aquarium is excited to announce that five of its rescued green sea turtles have been released after receiving care from CMA rehabilitation and veterinary teams. Each of their stories reveal the persistence and resilience of marine animals, inspiring CMA to never give up on those that need our help.  

Starting June 8, Clearwater Marine Aquarium will host three,  8-week-old capybaras in a new Capybara Chillout event, in partnership with Amazing Animals, Inc. Join us in welcoming these adorable newbies to their habitat between June 8 and July 7, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, while experiencing their friendly personalities and learning about their natural behaviors.  

A new publication in the journal, Caribbean Naturalist, has standardized the vernacular names for manatees throughout North, Central, and South America. The research, titled “What’s in a name? Standardization of vernacular names for Trichechus manatus,” was conducted by 24 researchers, three of whom are from Clearwater Marine Aquarium, including doctors Anmari Alvarez-Aleman, James “Buddy” Powell and master’s of science Jamal Galves.