In the 1990's, as renovations continued to provide more public area and education programs, our name was changed to Clearwater Marine Aquarium (CMA) to reflect the increasing level of community interaction. Many animals were cared for, and in 1984 an Atlantic bottlenose dolphin named "Sunset Sam" was rescued and given a permanent home at the center. Over the next few years, thanks to individual and corporate donations and immense volunteer efforts, CMSC continued to grow. In 1981, the first exhibit room, featuring fish from the original Sea-Orama, was opened to the public. Little by little, the cement and steel building was modified for aquarium purposes and in 1980 was granted a USDA Research Facility permit, allowing it to prepare two 65,000 gallon tanks for the rehabilitation of dolphins, whales and sea turtles. Summer camp classes for youngsters which are operated by the CMA Education Department have been extraordinarily popular here ever since. In 1979, marine biologist Dennis Kellenberger was hired as CMSC's Executive Director his main duties were teaching classes and spearheading a massive remodeling effort. With its huge holding tanks and bayside location, the building was a perfect fit for a marine facility's needs. In 1978, the city of Clearwater agreed to donate our current facility, an abandoned water treatment plant, to CMSC. Soon a search for a site was underway for the prospective inside building facility. Hoping for a larger exhibit, perhaps with live animals to observe, we were incorporated as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization under the name Clearwater Marine Science Center (CMSC). The Sea-Orama, a mounted fish exhibit at Clearwater Marina, had been in storage for several years. In 1972, a group of dedicated volunteers decided it was time to establish a permanent marine biology learning center in our area. Scholastic published Winter's Tail: How One Little Dolphin Learned to Swim Again in October 2009. Her documentary, "Winter: The Dolphin that Could," is available at The documentary takes viewers on an extraordinary journey through her rescue, fight to stay alive and extensive rehabilitation. Produced by Warner Bros.-based Alcon Entertainment, Dolphin Tale stars Morgan Freeman, Harry Connick, Jr., and Ashley Judd. A movie, Dolphin Tale, about her life story was a #1 box office hit in theaters, and is now available in DVD. Winter the dolphin's story of survival and inspiration has touched millions of people around the world. CMA is home to dolphins, sea turtles, river otters, stingrays, nurse sharks and more. Visit to see speaker series lectures planned for the entire year. Clearwater Marine Aquarium is a Florida non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, dedicated to restoring and preserving our marine life and environment through leadership in education, research and the rescue, rehabilitation and release of marine life.
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