Last week, the Tampa Bay Area received some tragic news – Winter, the Dolphin, passed away. What started off as a critical gastrointestinal abnormality, unfortunately, turned into intestinal torsion which led to her sudden passing, according to results released by the Clearwater Marine Aquarium. She was a local celebrity and star of multiple movies due to the inspiring story of her prosthetic tail. Her impact on community residents stems as far back as 2005 when she was first rescued by the Clearwater Marine Aquarium.
On Saturday, November 20, the Clearwater Marine Aquarium will be hosting an event in honor of Winter. For more details please visit their Facebook Page.
With masks still serving as protection against COVID-19, it is important to remember proper disposal of our face coverings as these can have a harmful impact on our marine life. These single-use masks may be beneficial in preventing the spread of viruses; however, they are putting our environment in jeopardy. In honor of Winter and in hopes to share some information to the community to help protect our marine life, please read this insightful article discussing the importance of proper mask disposal.