A special story about "Winter"......

This past week... I went on a special outing... Just 5 miles from me is the Clearwater Marine Aquarium... the home of

"Winter"

the bottle nose dolphin that lost her tail due to an accident, at the age of three months.

Winter found herself wrapped tightly in a crab trap line, unable to escape. As a result of her entanglement, she lost her entire tail along with 3 vertebrae in her spine.  Winter found a permanent home at the Aquarium and with the collaborative efforts of her trainers, veterinarians, and a leading prosthetic team, received a one-of-a-kind prosthetic tail unlike anything the world has ever seen. At the time of my visit Winter was a  bit agitated and I was not able to get her photo wearing her new Tail. She was moved the night before into her new home in the aquarium, a brand new pool built just for her and her surrogate mom.

Please visit Winter at...     www.seewinter.com

Winter enjoyed a special encounter with Army veteran Brian Brennan, who was seriously injured in Afghanistan, during Operation Enduring Freedom, when an IED exploded under his humvee. He miraculously survived and returned home a double amputee. Winter and Brian have a lot in common as they both survived life-threatening injuries, in spite of the odds. And just like Winter, Brian’s compelling life story has become an inspiration to others. Today, they helped each other. “I was very inspired by meeting Winter,” Brennan said. “She is missing a fin and I lost both legs—we are a lot alike.”

 I would have liked to show a photo of Winter with her prosthetic tail but this was not a happy day for Winter.. she was just moved to her new home and she was a bit out of sorts.. maybe another day I can get back to the Aquarium for a photo op!

 Winter with her surrogate mom, Panama

I also found out Winter will be staring in her own Motion Picture soon... how wonderful for her....