CLEARWATER, Fla. — Clearwater Marine Aquarium announced the death of one of its beloved rescue dolphins Monday morning after noticing a change in behavior last week.
According to the aquarium, Hemingway the Dolphin died at approximately 1:30 a.m. Monday, surrounded by his animal care and veterinary teams.
"Our team is heartbroken this morning," CMA leaders said in a statement.
The staff said they noticed a change in the dolphin's behavior late last week and started treatment for a suspected gastrointestinal condition.
"Together, our team did all that was possible to keep Hemingway comfortable," the aquarium explained in a news release. "He will be missed by us all."
A necropsy will be performed to determine the cause of death.
Hemingway was estimated to be about 37 years old. He was originally found stranded off Fiesta Key back in July 2019.
He joined the CMA family in June 2020 after being deemed non-releasable because of hearing loss and ongoing health concerns.
"Clearwater Marine Aquarium is proud to provide a home to rescued, non-releasable, and compromised animals, like Hemingway, who need managed care," aquarium leaders said in a statement. "We are forever grateful for the time we had with Hemingway and are proud of our staff and volunteers for the level of care we provide to all the animals in our care."
"We appreciate all the love and support from our community as we mourn his passing."