She was entangled in a crab trap line which cut off circulation to her tail flukes. Winter is a bottlenose dolphin that was found stranded near Cape Canaveral, Florida when she was only two months old. If you haven’t (you seriously need to…), she is the star and inspiration for those movies. If you have seen the Dolphin Talemovies, Winter needs no introduction. There were so many things we wanted to do, like feeding the dolphins (stingrays, Rufus and puffer fish), being a dolphin animal care assistant, and getting our picture taken with the dolphins, but we just didn’t have enough time to do it all. We spent the day there but honestly, we could have spent two more. What makes it so unique? I’m so glad you asked!Ĭlearwater Marine Aquarium™is fundamentally a hospital for sick and injured marine life. screening of "Dolphin Tale."Īfterward, she said, "people can stay behind and have a cake pop.My youngest son, Blake, and I spent an entire day at the Aquarium and are so excited to share with you 8 reasons to visit Clearwater Marine Aquarium™. This aquarium is probably not like any aquarium you have ever visited. "That's what I want to do for my career."Ībby hasn't seen "Dolphin Tale," but when she saw the trailer for it "I thought, 'Oh my gosh – this is amazing!'" she said.Ībby will be in the lobby Friday showing a looping video on her experiences with Winter and the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, and she'll give out prizes and talk about her experience with visitors before seeing the 7 p.m. And working with Winter has helped Abby focus her own goals. The dolphin's story has provided inspiration for many, including people adapting to amputations. Her story has been featured in newspapers, magazines, a documentary film and now the feature movie starring Morgan Freeman, Ashley Judd, Harry Connick Jr. Hanger Prosthetics & Orthotics created a custom tail attachment for Winter, and continues to refit the attachment to her peduncle – the part of the body leading into the tail - as she grows. Winter's tail had to be amputated after the young dolphin was discovered trapped in a crab trap line that had cut off circulation in the peduncle, just above the tail. "I was able to get into the pool and do physical therapy with her," she said. It afforded her a rare opportunity to work closely with Winter. She spent months raising funds, selling lemon shakeups, candy bars, deep-fried Oreos, barbecue and other things to come up with the $1,000 cost for the program, she said. Seeing a report about Winter on the nightly news prompted Abby to apply for the trainer-for-a-week program. It was a hands-on, in-the-tank experience that allowed her to prepare food and medicine, observe aquatic behavior and get in the water with Winter and other residents "and do stuff in front of a live crowd, even on a Web cam," she said. She and the celebrated bottlenose dolphin with the prosthetic tail became friends in July, when Abby took part in a "trainer-for-a-week" program at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium in Clearwater, Fla., following college interns and working with Winter and other aquatic creatures being rehabilitated there.Īs it turned out, one of the people she shadowed was Talia Goffinet, an aquarium intern from Evansville who attends the Florida Institute of Technology, said Abby. That's when the home-schooled Evansville girl will celebrate her birthday and one of the highlights of her summer - getting a poolside kiss from Winter, the movie's star. Abigail Barnett turns 14 today, but the big celebration will come Friday at the AMC Evansville 16's premiere of the movie "Dolphin Tale."
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