Nick Flips Over His 19th Birthday Party At Clearwater Aquarium

CLEARWATER, FL — Not every 19-year-old is serenaded by a full mariachi band on his birthday, particularly when the birthday boy is a bottlenose dolphin.

Celebrity dolphin Nicholas not only enjoyed some festive mariachi music but received a birthday cake and celebrated his big day with a bubble dance party with DJ Kitty and Clearwater Marine Aquarium campers Thursday.

Nicholas, best known for his unique ability to pick winning sports teams (Nick's Picks), has lived at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium since he was rescued on Christmas Eve in 2002 at the age of 6 months.

The Atlantic bottlenose dolphin calf and his mother were discovered stranded near Gibsonton. They were transported to the Florida Aquarium and then relocated to the Clearwater Marine Aquarium for long-term medical care.

In honor of their Christmas Eve arrival, the aquarium named the mother dolphin Noelle and her calf Nicholas. The 380-pound female dolphin had sustained third-degree burns around her dorsal fin and was believed to have a respiratory illness. She died four days after she and her calf were rescued.

Nicholas received medical treatment for his burns and eventually recovered. However, he no longer had a mother to teach him to survive in the wild so marine biologists decided his best hope for a long life was to live at the aquarium. He is currently the aquarium's longest permanent resident.

Residents can visit Nicholas and the other residents of the nonprofit working marine rescue center at 249 Windward Passage, Clearwater, during extended hours from June 28 to July 25, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Click here for tickets.

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