Last April, CMA had the pleasure of hosting the cast and production crew from a new children’s show, called Nurse Deon.
Deon, also known as “Nurse Deon,” has worked in Tampa Bay at BayCare’s St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital in Tampa and created this program to help children and parents navigate health topics in a way that is engaging, informative, and easy to understand. With insights from pediatricians, child psychologists, and educators, it addresses common questions, eases fears, and covers everything from doctor visits and coping strategies to more complex subjects like serious illness and loss.
“In addition to medical topics, the show takes field trips to places like aquariums, parks, and zoos, where children can explore the connections between animals, nature, and health. These adventures provide a fun, hands-on way to learn about wellness, conservation, and the world around us,” said Nurse Deon.
Designed for both children and parents, the show aims to empower families with knowledge and encourage open conversations about health.
The 7-person crew came on a Saturday to do a walk-through and look at the layout. The next week, they spent a full day at CMA, as our staff and volunteers met the crew and introduced them to our resident animals.
Nurse Deon Explores Senses With the Resident Animals at Clearwater Marine Aquarium
The theme of the show was the Five Senses, so we started off introducing Nurse Deon to our rough-toothed dolphins, introducing them to Rosie and Rudy, our two rough-toothed dolphins that are deaf. Some of their questions:
- Do dolphins have ears?
- How do dolphins use their hearing?
- How do Rudy & Rosie talk to each other?
Nurse Deon seemed to love interacting with Rudy and he even got splashed a few times!
We also had our animal care experts interviewed at our nurse shark habitat (perfect for Nurse Deon!); explore our stingray touch tank for sense of touch; visit our tortoise experience for sense of taste.
We finally ended up with a Sea Life Safari boat tour to show the beauty of the waterways and views of marine life in the wild.
This was a great opportunity to introduce children and families to CMA and show them how they can relate to marine mammals in a healthy and explorative way!
Check out the episode and watch Nurse Deon explore Clearwater Marine Aquarium!