Winter (dolphin)

Winter (born circa October 10 2005) is a bottlenose dolphin at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium in Clearwater, Florida, widely known for having a prosthetic tail. She is the subject of the film Dolphin Tale, a dramatization of her story. Winter was found off the coast of Florida in December 2005, caught in a crab trap, which resulted in the loss of her tail. She was fitted with a silicone and plastic tail which enables her to swim normally. She has since become a highly popular attraction at the aquarium, which led to the film's making. There is a live feed of her at seewinter.com.

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Injury and discovery

Winter got entangled in the ropes of a crab trap, on December 10, 2005[1][2], in Mosquito Lagoon off the coast of Florida. The rope cut off the supply of blood to her tail. She was spotted and caught by a small fishing boat and a SeaWorld team (with assistance from the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute) which brought her to the Clearwater Marine Aquarium.[3] Winter (estimated to be about two months old when she was rescued) survived, but her tail flaked off due to the lack of blood for a prolonged period of time.[4] At first it was thought that Winter would have to learn to swim without a tail, but this forced her to swim with a "side to side" body motion instead of the normal "up and down" motion, and the veterinarians feared that this unusual movement would damage her spine.[4] Kevin Carroll,[5] who had designed prosthetics for other animals (including dogs, an ostrich and a duck), volunteered to help.[6]

Prosthetic tail

Carroll and a team of experts took a year and a half designing and testing a tail for Winter, eventually settling on a simple silicone and plastic tail.[4] A gel-like sleeve was used under the tail, in order to prevent it from irritating Winter's skin.[7] In Winter's case however, both the flukes and the caudal peduncle had been severed, making the task much more difficult.[7]

Lessons learned from Winter also have been applied to human amputees. Carroll used the same gel sleeve concept to ease painful prosthetic limbs for US Air Force Senior Airman Brian Kolfage, who lost both legs and his right hand in a 2004 mortar attack in Iraq.[8] Books and Nintendo DS games have been published about Winter.[9][10]

2009 Book Adaptation

In 2009 Winter's story was told by Craig Hatkoff and his daughters Juliana and Isabella Hatkoff, the #1 New York Times bestselling children’s authors in Winter’s Tail: How One Little Dolphin Learned to Swim Again. The book was published by Turtle Pond Publications and Scholastic. The book was co-released with a Nintendo DS game.[11][12]

2011 film adaption

A film based on Winter's story, titled Dolphin Tale, was released September 23, 2011.[13][14] The film centers around a young boy who becomes friends with the dolphin, and stars Nathan Gamble, Harry Connick, Jr., Ashley Judd, Morgan Freeman, and Kris Kristofferson.[13] Winter played herself in the film. Several modifications were made to the Clearwater Marine Aquarium to accommodate her, including a new 80,000-gallon pool.[15] Portions of the movie were filmed in and around Clearwater. Locations included the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, Honeymoon Island, Tarpon Springs, and local news station Bay News 9.[16]

References

  1. ^ "Researchers Hope to Give Dolphin Prosthetic Tail: Underwater interview of Diana Zucker by Melissa Block". National Public Radio. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6147502. 
  2. ^ Winter received her name as she was discovered in December, traditionally considered a winter month, even though the exact date of her rescue (December 10) is actually within the autumn season.
  3. ^ Ludmilla Lelis, Orlando Sentinel (27 November 2010). "Winter the dolphin's rescue off Volusia has Hollywood ending". Orlando Sentinel. http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2010-11-27/news/os-winter-dolphin-volusia-rescue-20101127_1_prosthetic-tail-baby-dolphin-rescue-truck. Retrieved 29 December 2010. 
  4. ^ a b c Daniel Aven (9 August 2007). ""Bionic" Dolphin Getting New Tail". The Early Show. CBS News. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/08/08/earlyshow/contributors/debbyeturner/main3148359.shtml. Retrieved 29 December 2010. 
  5. ^ Yahalom, Tali (2007-07-17). "Dolphin and Iraq veteran share wonder of prosthetics". USA Today. http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/2007-07-17-dolphin-iraq-veteran_N.htm. Retrieved 2011-07-26. 
  6. ^ "Pictured: The world's first bionic sea creature: Winter the dolphin gets a prosthetic tail". Mail Online. Daily Mail. 5 May 2008. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-563966/Pictured-The-worlds-bionic-sea-creature-Winter-dolphin-gets-prosthetic-tail.html. Retrieved 29 December 2010. 
  7. ^ a b Jaime Holguin (26 August 2007). "Fuji The Dolphin's Rubber Tail". CBS Evening News. CBS News. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/12/14/eveningnews/main661078.shtml. Retrieved 29 December 2010. 
  8. ^ Theodora Aggeles (30 December 2010). "Once-paralyzed Ohio man meets Clearwater's Winter the dolphin". Tampabay.com. St. Petersburg Times. http://www.tampabay.com/news/humaninterest/once-paralyzed-ohio-man-meets-clearwaters-winter-the-dolphin/1142467. Retrieved 2 January. 
  9. ^ http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=3752494
  10. ^ http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-book-news/article/41320-scholastic--s--winter--s-tail--makes-waves.html
  11. ^ "Finding 'Teachable Moments' In Animal Tales". All Things Considered. NPR. http://www.npr.org/2010/11/28/131647866/father-daughter-tell-story-of-leo-the-lost-leopard. Retrieved 3 January 2012. 
  12. ^ Lodge, Sally (17 December 2009). "Scholastic’s ‘Winter’s Tail’ Makes Waves". Publishers Weekly. http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-book-news/article/41320-scholastic--s--winter--s-tail--makes-waves.html. Retrieved 3 January 2012. 
  13. ^ a b "Dolphin's Tale". IMBd. Amazon.com. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1564349/. Retrieved 2 January 2011. 
  14. ^ Steve Persall (20 July 2010). "Filming of A Dolphin's Tale (in 3D!) to begin Sept. 27 at Clearwater Marine Aquarium and other Pinellas County locations". Tampabay.com. St. Petersburg Times. http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/movies/2010/07/a-dolphins-tale-announcement-coming-today-that-filming-begins-sept-27.html. Retrieved 2 January 2011. 
  15. ^ Mike Brassfield (19 December 2010). "Clearwater Marine Aquarium reaps new features left over from filming 'Dolphin Tale'". Tampabay.com. St. Petersburg Times. http://www.tampabay.com/news/humaninterest/clearwater-marine-aquarium-reaps-new-features-left-over-from-filming/1140025. Retrieved 2 January 2011. 
  16. ^ "Winter the dolphin movie wraps filming". Baynews9.com. Bay News 9. 10 December 2010. http://www.baynews9.com/article/news/2010/december/183343/Winter-the-dolphin-movie-wraps-filming. Retrieved 10 August 2011. 

Further reading

External links