Clearwater Marine Aquarium launches ambitious new project

Clearwater Marine Aquarium has announced its “Rising Tides” facility revitalization project, which will welcome new wildlife, create habitats and initiate global conservation efforts.

To kick off the project, CMA will open the Manatee Rehabilitation Center – which facility administrators say is a significant step for the conservation and well-being of these endangered marine mammals.

Other additions will include more marine “ambassadors,” including sea lions, penguins and sharks. Internationally, the Belize Manatee Rescue and Educational Center will be implemented.

Joe Handy, CEO, said this campaign is ambitious, but extremely important.

“This is a win for the city of Clearwater. This is a win for the aquatic community that we serve, and this is a win for everyone who walks through our doors, because they will know more about the impact that they can make than they would if they’d not visited us,” he said.

CMA will be creating immersive learning experiences for guests, such as a state-of-the-art theater and interactive water area.

To appeal to audiences of all ages, the industry wants to embrace technology and understand that emerging generations consume information digitally, Handy said.

To make CMA’s plan become reality, $32 million will need to be raised over the next six years.

“We are looking to get buy-ins across the globe – not just domestically – but we’re looking to make a global impact,” Handy said.

CMA already engages in work in several other countries, such as Belize, Cuba and the Dominican Republic, Handy said.

“Anything that people can contribute to what we’re looking to do is going to make this world a better place,” he said.

Handy explained that CMA takes pride in their mission and being the poster child of where aquariums are going in the future. The focus throughout the aquarium’s history has been on animal health, including providing a home for non-releasable animals, rehabilitating animals and making people aware of the ailments that exist in animals within their care, he said.

Not only will this plan positively affect marine life, said Handy, but it will also allow people with different interests and talents to get involved.

“We want folks to know that they can bring their time and talent to organizations like Clearwater Marine Aquarium, and it doesn’t have to be in the form of being a marine biologist,” he said.

“You can be a journalist and be a part of an aquarium and tell a wonderful story about the animals that we have in our care. You can be an accountant and help us in the business side of the operations of an organization like Clearwater Marine Aquarium.”

Whether it be financially or bringing in your personal passion and talents, there are many ways of contributing to the success of the aquarium, Handy said.

CMA marked its 50th anniversary in 2022, celebrating decades of conservation and research efforts locally and globally.

One of the most well-known inhabitants of the aquarium was Winter the dolphin, who spent nearly all 16 years of her life in the care of those at the aquarium. Winter passed away in 2021 due to complications from a twisted intestine.

After two successful movies about Winter were produced, aquarium attendance drastically increased and her story inspired many.

RELATED READING: Vintage Pinellas: Making the ‘Dolphin Tale’ movies

CMA has also launched several partnerships, including Ocean Allies in 2018 – a conservation plan designed to transform Clearwater Beach into the number one friendly beach in the world. Another partnership is the Sea to Shore Alliance, a group of researchers and scientists that merged with CMA in 2019 to expand conservation and research on marine life.