Meet Nicholas the dolphin that lives at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium in Clearwater Florida. Nicholas was found beached with his mother on the shores of the Gulf of Mexico and brought to the aquarium. Both were dehydrated and severely sunburned. Beaching means their sensitive skin is no longer covered by a protective layer of saltwater but that the hot tropical sun is burning their delicate skin.
The team attempted to save both of them, but his mother did not make it. Nicholas is a full grown Atlantic Bottlenose dolphin now, having spent the last 12 years at the aquarium.
It is nothing short of a miracle that he survived but he can never be returned to the wild. He was a pup when found and his mother was not around long enough to teach him survival skills, so Nicholas is dependent on humans for his food.
Nicholas lives in a tank all by himself. He is too large to be with the smaller female dolphins and since he is a mature adult, he would eventually want to mate. The last male that was at the aquarium has passed on and should they obtain another adult male, it might go into the tank with Nicholas. That is a big 'might' since male dolphins often live on their own and like it that way. They only get into groups for mating and for feeding in large pods but most of the time they are solitary beings.
Nicholas is at the third level tank at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, in the same tank that was used as the rescue tank when I worked there during the 'teacher off' summer months when my own kids were in school and I was still a teacher. I spent time in that tank with rescued spinner dolphins back then. They had to be held and walked around in the water, since they were too ill to swim on their own. That was an experience I will never forget! Nothing like holding a dolphin in your arms while you walk in chest high water around the tank, assisting that animal in staying alive.
Back then there was a baby dolphin that was rescued with that group of spinner dolphins. As he improved, he would swim off on his own and then turn and playfully charge at you. As he got closer, he would slow down and bump you with his head. Those are wonderful memories indeed.
Clearwater Marine Aquarium in Clearwater Florida does indeed do a good job in attempting to assist rescued sea creatures.
Comments (6)Subscribe to CommentsComment