Hemingway Makes Himself At Home At Clearwater Marine Aquarium

CLEARWATER, FL — A new Clearwater Aquarium resident is quickly fast finned friends with longtime aquarium resident, Nicholas the Atlantic bottlenose dolphin.

Hemingway was rescued in July after being stranded in shallow waters of Fiesta Key. After undergoing extensive rehab for pneumonia, marine veterinarians learned he was deaf, which puts him at a serious disadvantage in the wild.

As a result, he became a permanent resident at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium May 15 and will help promote deaf and hard-of-hearing issues for area nonprofits and serve as an inspiration for children who are deaf and hard of hearing.

His name was chosen after the aquarium received more than 10,000 suggestions.

Hemingway is just the newest challenged resident at the aquarium.

Winter the dolphin became famous as the first dolphin to receive a prosthetic tail after being critically injuried. She was featured in the Dolphin Tale" movies starring Harry Connick Jr. and Ashley Judd.

While Winter is paired with dolphin buddy Hope, Nicholas, who turned 18 years old this month, hasn't had a buddy so he's being paired with Hemingway. From all reports, the two dolphins hit it off immediately.

Clearwater Marine Aquarium started welcoming guests on May 15 after being closed for 60 days and has implemented an extensive program to keep visitors safe while learning about unique marine life.

As part of a larger expansion project, the CMA is working on an enhanced living habitat for its resident non-releasable animals, tripling its current habitat space. The new dolphin habitat is slated to open this summer.