Winter, the Clearwater Marine Aquarium’s star dolphin, dies

Winter, the Atlantic bottlenose dolphin whose true story of rescue and rehabilitation inspired the 2011 film Dolphin Tale, died at approximately 8 p.m. Thursday in her tank at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium.

The 16-year-old marine mammal had been diagnosed with a gastrointestinal infection earlier in the week, and her condition had been downgraded to critical Wednesday.

“While we are heartbroken by Winter’s death, we are comforted knowing that our team did everything possible to give her the best chance at survival,” said veterinarian Dr. Shelly Marquardt, DVM, CVA. “We worked with specialists and marine mammal experts from around the country to provide her with the best care available.

“Our staff worked around the clock during this challenging time. I’m honored to work alongside such dedicated and talented professionals who gave their all for Winter.”

This is a developing story, and will be updated.