Winter the Dolphin’s ashes returned to the Gulf by aquarium caretakers

CLEARWATER, Fla. (WWSB) - Winter the Dolphin’s friends and caretakers from the Clearwater Marine Aquarium returned the ashes of the beloved animal back to the Gulf of Mexico today.

Winter died in November from a gastrointestinal infection. She was best known as the star of the film “A Dolphin’s Tale” and inspired fans after her tail was amputated when it became entangled in a crab trap rope, cutting off circulation. But the prosthetic tail and the dolphin’s miraculous recovery offered hopes to many with illnesses and disabilities.

Encased in a Himalayan sea salt urn, the ashes of Winter were released into the Gulf of Mexico by her animal care staff aboard the U.S. Coast Guard’s 45-foot Response Boat.

Winter’s legacy will live on as funds raised in her honor will go to the care and upkeep of other marine life.

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