Clearwater Marine Aquarium unveils improvements

[Jim Damaske | Times]

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CLEARWATER -- After a six-week renovation project, the Clearwater Marine Aquarium today unveiled a revamped facility and life-sized statue of its resident star, Winter the tail-less dolphin.

The entire interior of the former sewage-treatment-plant-turned-marine-hospital was redesigned and refurbished. New windows in the dolphin tank allow visitors to watch the mammals as they play and swim underwater. There is also a mini IMAX theater offering movies about sea life. Every wall has been freshly painted, the roof was resealed and new offices and educational rooms have been built.

During the work, all the animals were moved outside the facility to temporary holding tanks, and two of the aquarium's best-known dolphins -- Winter and Panama -- stayed at Mote Marine Laboratory.

This first phase of the project cost about $600,000, with the city of Clearwater chipping in $225,000. When a second phase is completed within three months, the total cost will climb to $750,000. The aquarium has raised the money for the improvements through donations, fundraisers and admission fees.

Not all of the seven exhibits are completed, but guests were still impressed during the grand re-opening this morning.

"It's beautiful,'' said Michelle Ryan, 42, of Michigan, who visits the aquarium when she vacations in  Clearwater. "It's cleaner and streamlined ... very updated.''

The aquarium is at 249 Windward Passage. For more inforamtion, visit www.cmaquarium.org.

-- Eileen Schulte, Times staff writer