Yesterday afternoon, I got a chance to visit ClearWater Marine Aquarium with a few other bloggers. I had never heard of the aquarium but I was definitely in for a treat because this is where they actually filmed Dolphin Tale 1 & 2. When I got the invite to travel to Clearwater, Florida to check out the new film and interview some of the cast from the movie, ofcourse I jumped at the opportunity! The icing on the cake for me was actually getting a chance to tour the aquarium and seeing the famous dolphin Winter who is the star of the movie! I would like to thank Warner Brothers Studio for this amazing experience! Inside is my list of five cool reasons to visit Clearwater Marine Aquarium!
Dolphin Tale 2 is one of the best films of the year and it was filmed at Clearwater Marine Aquarium! You get to see where Winter’s amazing true story took place!
You get to see the star of the movie Winter and his co-star Hope from 10 feet away!
It’s a great place to learn about sea life and you can bring your whole family!
They have live shows daily and the dolphins do amazing tricks!
The staff is VERY knowledgeable about all the animals and passionate about their jobs.
Winter and Hope having a few yummy snacks!
Star of Dolphins Tales 2, Winter! Awh!
Boathouse built for the movie Dolphin Tale 2
Synopsis
Warner Bros. Pictures and Alcon Entertainment’s “Dolphin Tale 2” continues the story of the brave dolphin Winter, whose miraculous rescue and recovery—thanks to a groundbreaking prosthetic tail—made her a symbol of hope and perseverance to people around the world and inspired the 2011 family hit movie “Dolphin Tale.”
The film reunites the entire main cast, led by Harry Connick, Jr., Oscar winner Morgan Freeman (“Million Dollar Baby”), Ashley Judd, Kris Kristofferson, Nathan Gamble, Cozi Zuehlsdorff, Austin Stowell, Austin Highsmith, and, of course, the remarkable dolphin Winter as herself. Charles Martin Smith, who directed “Dolphin Tale,” wrote and directed the sequel.
It has been several years since young Sawyer Nelson (Gamble) and the dedicated team at the Clearwater Marine Hospital, headed by Dr. Clay Haskett (Connick, Jr.), rescued Winter. With the help of Dr. Cameron McCarthy (Freeman), who developed a unique prosthetic tail for the injured dolphin, they were able to save her life.
Yet their fight is not over. Winter’s surrogate mother, the very elderly dolphin Panama, has passed away, leaving Winter without the only poolmate she has ever known. However, the loss of Panama may have even greater repercussions for Winter, who, according to USDA regulations, cannot be housed alone, as dolphins’ social behavior requires them to be paired with other dolphins. Time is running out to find a companion for her before the team at Clearwater loses their beloved Winter to another aquarium.
Reprising their roles, Kristofferson plays Clay’s father, Reed; Zuehlsdorff is Clay’s teenage daughter, Hazel; Judd returns as Sawyer’s mom, Lorraine; Stowell plays Sawyer’s cousin, Kyle; and Highsmith is Winter’s lead trainer, Phoebe. Champion surfer Bethany Hamilton, who herself has been an example of courage, appears as herself in the film.
Oscar nominees Andrew A. Kosove and Broderick Johnson (“The Blind Side”) are the producers of the film, together with Alcon President of Worldwide Marketing, Richard Ingber, who brought the first project to the Company.
Inspired by true events, “Dolphin Tale 2” was filmed at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, the non-profit rescue and rehabilitation facility that Winter calls home.
Opening nationwide September 12, 2014, “Dolphin Tale 2” will be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment company.
Images via Muah!
