Clearwater Marine Aquarium

Blog & News

Manatee Rehabilitation Patient – Zamboni

Zamboni was rescued for cold stress in Placida Bayou, Pinellas County, Florida on January 25, 2024. He was 200 centimeters long and weighed 306 pounds at the time of his rescue. Zamboni was transported to Zootampa for care and transferred to Clearwater Marine Aquarium for continued rehabilitation. He is currently 208 cm long and weighs 440 pounds.

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Clearwater Marine Aquarium to Present Aquatic Luau, Aug. 17

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.

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Sea Turtle,Opal, Released by CMA After Rehabilitation 

Rainy day release! Today, Clearwater Marine Aquarium’s sea turtle rehab team released Opal, a juvenle green sea turtle, into the waters of Fred Howard Park. Opal was found floating with issues staying submerged in New Port Richey on May 7th. After a few months of rehabilitation, Opal’s buoyancy issues resolved on their own and this turtle was healthy enough to be released back into the wild.

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Manatee Tracking – Eris

A ten-foot adult male manatee named Eris was located and tagged on May 1, 2024 at Cumberland Island, Georgia through the collaborative effort between Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute (CMARI), Georgia Aquarium (GAQ), Georgia Department of Natural Resources (GDNR) and other organizations. Eris received a full health assessment checkup from GAQ and CMARI veterinarian staff and was outfitted with a GPS satellite tag to closely monitor his travels as part of our manatee Northern Atlantic Coast Manatee Movement study.

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Manatee Tracking – Shawty

An eight-and-a-half-foot small adult male manatee named Shawty was located and tagged on May 2, 2024 at Cumberland Island, Georgia through the collaborative effort between Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute (CMARI), Georgia Aquarium (GAQ), Georgia Department of Natural Resources (GDNR) and other organizations. Shawty received a full health assessment checkup from GAQ and CMARI veterinarian staff and was outfitted with a GPS satellite tag to closely monitor his travels as part of our manatee Northern Atlantic Coast Manatee Movement study.

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It’s Shark Week at Clearwater Marine Aquarium!

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.

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Sea Turtle Hospital Patient – Baldwin

Baldwin is a subadult, kemp’s ridley who was found entangled in fishing line affecting both front flippers and additionally ingested the fishing line. Due to the severity of the entanglement, Baldwin’s left front flipper was barely attached to the body still. Our veterinarian quickly amputated the left front flipper and applied wound care at intake. Sea turtles are still releasable with missing one front flipper. It is extremely important to dispose of your fishing line appropriately as it can affect wildlife in a variety of ways! Over the next few days, we will be conducting wound care and performing more diagnostics regarding the ingested fishing line.

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Sea Turtle Hospital Patient – Austin

Austin is a large, juvenile green sea turtle who was found floating near the Gandy bridge in Hillsborough county. Austin is missing their right rear flipper and has a partial amputation to the left rear flipper. They also have deformities to their caudal carapace, all are healed and from a previous traumatic event. Our team will be performing diagnostics over the next few days to help determine the cause of their buoyancy issues.

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