New exhibit honors Winter the Dolphin at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium

CLEARWATER, Fla. — Doris the Rough-Toothed Dolphin is acclimating to her newish digs at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium—she arrived in June from an aquarium where senior animal care specialist Kelsey Fisher used to work.

They’re old pals—reunited.

“Oh, it’s amazing. I’ve worked for many, many years to build it,” said Fisher of her relationship to 28-year-old Doris. “It hasn’t been easy at all times. But it’s really rewarding. It’s one of the best parts of the job.”

She’s memorialized their link by inking the outline of Doris’s tale on the inside of her wrist.

It’s this kind of love and connection to animals that helped produce their latest exhibit, “Tales of Winter the Dolphin.”

Winter came to the CMA in 2005.

She rose to fame as an inspiration after surviving the loss of her tail and was the subject of the 2011 film Dolphin Tale as well as its sequel in 2014.

Alexis Larson, a film major intern turned full-time CMA staffer, helped curate the exhibit.

Winter is the reason Larson works at CMA, and wardrobe is her favorite part of the exhibit.

“So we have multiple costumes from the movies,” she said, pulling out a blouse with a square-cut neck worn by actor Cozi Zuehlsdorff, who played Hazel Haskett.

Co-curator Haley Cook is also an intern turned staffer—she began her career in 2017.

She spent four years in the glow of Winter until her untimely death in 2021.

Cook added in Winter’s favorite enrichment toy—a large-sized rubber ducky—to the exhibition.

“I think her story is just so magical that it could touch so many people. So I think just I want everyone to remember her legacy,” said Cook.

All this is here, so the next generation understands just how much they can do – to both protect and care for these creatures.

It’s a dolphin tale of connection that continues from Winter to Doris and beyond.

“It’s definitely one of the best parts of the job,” said Fischer, hanging out with Doris. “I think everybody hopes to be able to build one of those extra special relationships starting their career, and I feel very fortunate I have been able to do that.”