CLEARWATER, Fla. — The Clearwater Marine Aquarium is celebrating 50 years of marine conservation with a variety of special activities for visitors through Jan. 7.
Tampa Bay area locals and those visiting from out of town will be able to enjoy the Jubilee Celebration which includes music, performers, games, face painting and more.
On Tuesday, guests lined the viewing window to catch glimpses of dolphins and peered over railings to snap pictures of swimming sea turtles and sleeping otters.
"I’ve seen some major changes here at CMA due in part to the amazing group of volunteers that established the aquarium in 1972," Kelly Martin said, vice president of Zoological Care.
Martin joined CMA in 2011 just as Winter the dolphin was about to take over Hollywood.
"CMA was a tiny, little aquarium. Grassroots is what it was. We did everything we could to the best of our ability," Martin said.
The Clearwater Marine Aquarium has never been typical. It's an animal hospital with a mission to save animals and change human behavior that harms our oceans.
Long before the aquarium got Hollywood's attention and became an international tourist attraction, it was a small science center founded by volunteers. Since opening its doors in 1972, CMA has made a profound difference in local marine ecosystems and the conservation of species all over the world.
TIMELINE
1972: A group of volunteers decided the Tampa Bay area needed a marine biology learning center and established the Clearwater Marine Science Center.
1978: The city of Clearwater agreed to donate an abandoned water treatment plant. Its bayside location and huge water pools made it a perfect fit for animals and visitors.
1984: Many animals were cared for at CMSC, including an Atlantic bottlenose dolphin named Sunset Sam, the first dolphin to survive stranding in the state of Florida.
1995: Renovations continue allowing for educational programs and public areas to expand. The name was changed to Clearwater Marine Aquarium.
2005: On December 10, 2005, Winter the dolphin was rescued off the east coast of Florida. At three months old, Winter was tangled in a crab trap line and was close to death. She was taken to CMA to begin a long rehabilitation journey.
2006: Winter became an official resident of CMA and she started to inspire children and wounded soldiers.
2007: Winter's first prosthetic tail was created.
2011: The movie Dolphin Tale, based on Winter's struggle for survival and CMA's efforts to save her, was released. The movie was a box office hit.
2014: Dolphin Tale 2 was released and CMA broke attendance records.
2017: Nicholas the dolphin makes his first winning Super Bowl prediction.
2020: CMA unveils a new dolphin viewing area with an expansive pool and observation window.
2021: Winter dies at the age of 16 at CMA after falling ill.
Clearwater Marine Aquarium’s festive 50th-anniversary celebration includes extended hours filled with family fun activities, entertainment and special moments with the resident animals. Click here for the whole schedule of events.