We welcome visitors to Clearwater Marine Aquarium 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.
Historic Sea Turtle News!
Pinellas county just made sea turtle hatchling history! The first documented leatherback nest on Pinellas county beaches has successfully hatched. Watch the video to learn more about this amazing and historic occasion!
Historic Leatherback Sea Turtle Video
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
Baldwin goes home!
Baldwin is a subadult Kemp’s ridley sea turtle who was found entangled in fishing line in Taylor County on June 11th. The fishing line was affecting both front flippers and a piece of line was also ingested. Due to the severity of the entanglement, Baldwin’s left front flipper was almost completely detached from the body upon arrival to CMA. Our veterinarian completed the amputation of the left front flipper and applied wound care at intake. The ingested fishing line was too far in the gastrointestinal tract so removing it orally was not an option. With the aid of gastrointestinal motility medications, Baldwin defecated 300 cm of fishing line on their own! Baldwin continued to eat and defecate normally, and the amputation site has healed. Sea turtles are still releasable when missing one front flipper, so this does not prevent Baldwin from being a candidate for release to the wild. Now that Baldwin is fully recovered, they have been cleared for release by our staff veterinarian and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Aquatic Luau
Experience a tropical luau at Clearwater Marine Aquarium’s end-of-summer celebration! At the Aquatic Luau, you can enjoy live entertainment, Hawaiian cuisine, and mesmerizing marine life in an enchanting atmosphere. Join us for an unforgettable night under the stars, bidding farewell to summer in true island style. You don’t want to miss this tropical night to remember! Aquatic Luau
Sea Turtle Conservation 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!
Sea Turtle Conservation Ride-Along
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!
https://give.clearwateraquarium.org/campaign/protect-the-nest-2024/c540131
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 – Clearwater Marine Aquarium
Upcoming Events & Programs:
August 17: Aquatic Luau
August 31: Seaside Seabird Sanctuary at CMA
September 21 & 28: Seaside Seabird Sanctuary at CMA