If your kids ask you to take them to a heartwarming movie this September called Dolphin Tale, take them — and a box of tissues. And know that a major industry supplier, Pentair Water Commercial Pool & Aquatics, donated pumps to the Clearwater Marine Aquarium (CMA) back when it was just getting started over 30 years ago, supporting the facility that would eventually rehabilitate the star of the movie, a dolphin named Winter.
The pumps Pentair donated were some of the first designed without metallic wetted parts — a requisite for pool tanks filled with salt water because metal parts can erode into the water and become toxic to aquatic life.
The movie is based on the true story of a dolphin who in 2005 got caught in a crab trap, severely damaging her tail. She was rescued and transported to the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, but that was when Winter's fight for survival began. Without a tail, Winter's prognosis was dire. Yet Winter, who plays herself in the film, still today serves as a symbol of courage, perseverance and hope to millions of people who have been touched by her story of recovery and rehabilitation.
Over the years, the CMA has successfully rehabilitated and released numerous marine animals, including sea turtles, river otters and dolphins. Pentair's donation years ago when the CMA was converting an abandoned water treatment plant into its current facility helped make all this possible.
