You have a chance to name a dolphin between now and June 7, 2020. He’s a very special specimen and deserves extra attention before you start throwing around generic nomenclature like Squeaks or Echo. Pay attention and be creative.
Florida’s Clearwater Marine Aquarium recently welcomed a new Atlantic bottlenose dolphin into its animal family. The slick swimmer battled pneumonia a while back and suffered some hearing loss as a result. Now that he’s safely splashed into his new home, he needs a name.
This hearing-challenged dolphin needs a name, and the Clearwater Marine Aquarium invites social ... [+]
The aquarium was selected by the National Marine Fisheries Service to be the permanent home to the rescued creature. He’ll be best buddies with another Clearwater rescued resident, Nicholas (also a male Atlantic bottlenose dolphin).
Clearwater’s freshest new face was stranded in shallow waters off Fiesta Key, Fla. in July 2019. When rescued, the dolphin was weak and had severe pneumonia. Following several weeks of treatment, the dolphin’s health improved — but testing indicated hearing loss. So, he was no longer a candidate for release and needed a new home. At about 26 years of age, the dolphin weighs about 700 pounds and will live from now on at the facility’s Dolphin Terrace.
You can catch videos and photos of the new, yet-to-be-named creature via the aquarium’s YouTube, Instagram, Twitter and Facebook pages. Clearwater Marine Aquarium reopened to guests on Friday, May 15 after COVID-19 closed it for 60 days. This dolphin naming festival is all part of the reopening celebration.
Anyone with a good name idea can visit the aquarium’s website to submit his or her genius. This scribe will get you swimming in the right direction. First, I propose to anyone paying attention in Clearwater to outlaw “Dolphiny McDolphinFace” for reasons that should be both obvious and predictable.
Beyond that, we should be able to stick with what makes this plucky marine mammal extra special and go with a theme: Helen Kelper? Dan No-Hear-No? FlippEar? Marly Mat-fin?
I’m spent. Come up with your own. Pitch the winning monicker and you might get a fish.
