CLEARWATER, Fla. — After an acclimation period, Clearwater Marine Aquarium's newest resident dolphin, Apollo, has officially met Hope and PJ.
The rescued dolphins were introduced when animal care staff gave the trio access to swim together in the same pool.
Apollo, who is 2 years old, was found stranded on May 15 on Playalinda Beach, which happens to be about 20 miles from where the late Winter the Dolphin was rescued in 2005, according to CMA.
Due to hearing loss, Apollo has been deemed "non-releasable," and CMA was selected by the National Marine Fisheries Service to be his forever home.
“We are overjoyed to welcome a new family member to CMA,” Kelly Martin, VP of Zoological Care, wrote in a statement at the time. “Coming off the heels of Winter’s rescue anniversary on December 11th and her death in November, this new dolphin is a burst of new life and energy that our team is so excited to embrace.
Due to his young age, Apollo will first be introduced to the aquarium's female social group before being paired off with resident male dolphins Nicholas and Hemingway "once he matures."
To visit Apollo and his new friends, you can head to cmaquarium.org for tickets, or use the CMA webcams to view all its resident animals.