CMA continues its mission to rescue, rehab and release marine life amid the novel pandemic
Clearwater Beach, FL (April 29, 2020) – On Wednesday, April 29th, 44 days after temporarily closing to the public due to the novel coronavirus, Clearwater Marine Aquarium (CMA) released Maggie Mae, a 6 lbs. juvenile green sea turtle, back into the wild. Brought to CMA on the day it closed to the public, Maggie Mae’s rehabilitation is a stark reminder that CMA’s work to care for, rescue, rehabilitate, and release marine life can never stop. Without the usual fanfare send-off, CMA released Maggie Mae on the white powdery sands of Clearwater Beach, which is also currently closed to the public until Monday, May 4th at 7am.
“This closure has made a traumatic impact on CMA’s finances,” said CMA’s CEO Frank Dame. “We cannot thank our fans and donors enough for helping us get through this, ensuring we are able to continue our mission and to release marine life, like Maggie Mae, who are vital to keeping our sensitive ecosystem in balance.”
Maggie Mae was found floating near Merry Pier in St. Petersburg and was unable to submerge.
“Upon intake, an X-Ray revealed that Maggie Mae had a moderate amount of GI Gas which could have caused her inability to submerge,” said Dr. Shelly Marquardt. “Even though we are closed to the public, we continue to give our animals the best care possible and Maggie Mae was no exception,” said Dr. Marquardt. “We’re very happy to return her home.”
“Maggie Mae” was cleared for release by Clearwater Marine Aquarium’s veterinarian and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Donate to Clearwater Marine Aquarium to support its mission of rescue, rehabilitation, and release of marine life. Visit TeamCMA.org, text “CMA” to 24-365, or donate through Venmo to @CMAquarium
- Media Contact
- Kelsy Long, Clearwater Marine Aquarium, klong@cmaquarium.org, 727.441.1790 x259, or via cell at 410.507.1453.
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- About Clearwater Marine Aquarium
- Clearwater Marine Aquarium (CMA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit working marine rescue center dedicated to preserving our marine life and environment while inspiring the human spirit through leadership in education, research, rescue, rehabilitation and release. CMA is home to rescue dolphins, sea turtles, river otters, stingrays, nurse sharks and more. Winter, the dolphin’s story of survival after injury that caused her to lose her tail, has impacted millions of people around the world. A major motion picture, Dolphin Tale, highlighted her life story in 2011. The sequel, Dolphin Tale 2, was released in September 2014 and features the incredible story of Hope, a young resident dolphin of CMA. The mission and potential to change people’s lives differentiates Clearwater Marine Aquarium from any other aquarium in the world
© 2019 Clearwater Marine Aquarium | 249 Windward Passage, Clearwater, FL 33767 | 727-445-1139 | 727-441-1790 | (Mission Site URL) | (Visit Site URL)
We believe in preserving our environment while inspiring the human spirit through leadership in the rescue, rehabilitation, and release of marine life; environmental education; research; and conservation.
A Florida non-profit 501(c)(3) organization