Clearwater Marine Aquarium welcomes visitors to learn about the aquarium’s mission to preserve the environment and its marine life. CMA is home to rescued dolphins, sea turtles, river otters, stingrays, and more. Clearwater Marine Aquarium is a working marine rescue center dedicated to inspiring the human spirit through leadership in education, research, rescue, rehabilitation and release.
Clearwater Marine Aquarium staff and volunteers work each day to rescue marine life and provide the most advanced and effective care to maximize the opportunity to return sick or injured animals to their homes. Recently, two sea turtles were fortunate enough to return to the ocean after rehab at CMA, once being cleared by Fish & Wildlife Commission for release. We would like to share their inspiring stories so you can discover the magic of CMA.
Citrine
Citrine is a juvenile, green sea turtle who was found washed ashore in Duval county on Jan. 24th. Due to space limitations, Citrine was transferred to CMA from Whitney Lab in St. Augustine on Jan. 25th as they were experiencing an increase in local strandings. Citrine had a heavy load of barnacles on their carapace, a thin body condition, and a moderate load of fibropapilloma tumors. Once they were healthy for surgery, Citrine had the majority of their fibropapilloma tumors removed by our staff veterinarian with our CO2 laser. Now that Citrine’s surgical sites have healed, they have been cleared for release by our staff veterinarian and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. They will be released back on the east coast of Florida.
Austin
Austin is a juvenile green sea turtle who was found floating in Hillsborough county on June 10, 2024. Austin has healed deformities to both rear flippers and their carapace from unknown trauma. Austin’s first swim test revealed significant buoyancy issues including being vertical when resting and having trouble staying submerged underwater. Due to Austin’s buoyancy it underwent a deep dive trial with the help of our partners at Florida Aquarium, where behavior in deeper water was assessed over a three-week period. Results showed that Austin is able to successfully rest and forage on the bottom and stay submerged! We are excited to share that Austin has been cleared for release by our staff veterinarians and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC)!
Manatees Welcomed
Clearwater Marine Aquarium welcomed the first two manatee patients to our Manatee Rehabilitation Center. Say hello to Yeti and Zamboni! These animals have been receiving critical care at ZooTampa at Lowry Park through the Manatee Rescue & Rehabilitation Partnership and have been steadily recovering and gaining weight. They will be finishing out their rehabilitation journey with us and will hopefully be released back to the wild this winter!
Yeti and Zamboni will now undergo an acclimation period where their behavior will be closely monitored to ensure their transition to our facility is an easy one! During this time, the manatees will not be viewable to the public. We appreciate your patience as we put the well-being of the animals first. Stay tuned for updates! CMA Manatee Rehabilitation Center
Dolphin Introductions
At the end of August, the animal care team introduced Rosie, a rough-toothed dolphin to Hope, a bottlenose dolphin! The team is happy to report the interactions between Rosie and Hope have been positive! The girls have been observed swimming together, interacting, and sharing enrichment! Because of this, the decision was made to integrate Rudy into this new dolphin social grouping. The introduction was a success and we are excited for the opportunity to continuously expand upon CMA’s dolphin fission-fusion social structure!
New Movies at CMA!
Explore the wonders of marine life and dinosaur mysteries through short films at the aquarium! Enjoy daily screenings of Turtle Odyssey and T.Rex included with admission! Whether you’re a budding marine biologist or a dinosaur enthusiast, the aquarium’s new film series promises to inspire your love for the world of animals.
Sea Turtle Nesting Ride-Along
Now, you can embark on an exclusive ride-along adventure with our sea turtle patrol team! You will be fully immersed during this educational excursion on the beach with our sea turtle nesting biologists. Learn about the sea turtle nesting process, hatchlings, and how the CMA team patrols our local beaches every day as part of our sea turtle conservation program!
Protect a Sea Turtle Nest with a Personalized Plaque This Sea Turtle Season!
The plaque with your personalized message will be placed at one of our nests for the duration of the 2024 season. In addition to photos of your plaque, you will also receive monthly updates on nesting season from our nesting team, and, at the end of the season, you will receive an update on your nest as well as your personalized plaque to keep!
Rising Tides
Clearwater Marine Aquarium recently launched Rising Tides: Safeguarding Marine Life for the Future. Over the next six years, CMA will undergo a dynamic facility revitalization that will bring new animals, new habitats, and new conservation efforts to our facility and beyond! Learn more about this campaign here.
Rising Tides
Upcoming Events & Programs
September 21: Latin Night
September 21 & 28: Seaside Seabird Sanctuary at CMA
September 28: Dolphin Family and Kids Yoga
October 12: Kayak Adventure
October 13: Snorkel Adventure