What’s in a name? Watch as rescued dolphin at Clearwater Marine
Aquarium selects the name of his new companion.
Public submitted 12,000 names, Nick the dolphin made the final pick Clearwater Marine Aquarium, home to the Dolphin Tale stars Winter and Hope, has a new resident dolphin! Selected by National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) to be the forever home, the new male dolphin is a companion for CMA rescued resident Nicholas, another male Atlantic bottlenose dolphin.
CMA asked the public for its help in naming the dolphin. Within a week, CMA received 12,000 name submissions! The Animal Care team selected their top two favorite names for the new resident. However, to make the final pick, CMA asked for the help of Nicholas. Nick is known for accurately predicting the winners in sports matches. In fact, he has accurately predicted 9 out of 16 sports match-ups – most recently predicting the Kansas City Chiefs to win the 2020 Super Bowl.
How it worked: Nicholas was presented with the two final names, Finn and Hemingway, written on volleyballs. Ultimately, he made the final selection by picking the volleyball with ‘Hemingway’ written on the ball! CMA invited the public to view Nick’s Pick via Facebook Live.
About Nicholas:
Nicholas is a rescued bottlenose dolphin that was found stranded with severe sunburns. He was orphaned and unable to learn necessary survival skills as a calf, therefore he became a permanent resident at Clearwater Marine Aquarium. Nicholas is presented with a choice during his normal enrichment activities. Making unbelievable sports predictions is just one of Nick’s many talents he has demonstrated.
Video and photos from Nick selecting the Chiefs to win the 2020 SuperBowl.
Clearwater Marine Aquarium’s resident dolphin, Nicholas, chose to name his new rescued companion ‘Hemingway.’
About Hemingway:
In July 2019, the Atlantic bottlenose dolphin stranded in shallow waters off Fiesta Key, Fla. When he was rescued, Hemingway was weak and was found to have severe pneumonia. After several weeks of treatment, his health improved but further testing indicated he had hearing loss.
Due to his ongoing health issues and hearing loss, NMFS ultimately determined the dolphin was not a candidate for release.
Video and photos of the new dolphin.
About Clearwater Marine Aquarium:
Clearwater Marine Aquarium (CMA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit working marine rescue center dedicated to inspiring the human spirit through leadership in education, research, rescue, rehabilitation and release. CMA is home to rescued dolphins, sea turtles, river otters, stingrays, nurse sharks and more. Winter the dolphin’s story of survival, after an injury that caused her to lose her tail, has impacted millions of people around the world.
Major motion picture Dolphin Tale (2011) features Winter’s story and its sequel Dolphin Tale 2 (2014) features the incredible story of Hope, a young resident dolphin of CMA. Through Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute, CMA conducts important global research focused on protecting manatees, right whales and sea turtles.
The mission and potential to change people’s lives differentiates Clearwater Marine Aquarium from any other aquarium in the world. For more information visit here.
