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Our Animal Family

Common Name: Atlantic spotted dolphin

Scientific Name: Stenella frontalis

Parents: Unknown / Unknown

Birth Date: Estimated birth 2013

Defining Trait: Petite/long rostrum/sprinkled spots/dark eyes.

My Story: On July 4, 2014, a little Atlantic spotted dolphin was discovered stranded and in critical condition on Redington Beach, Florida. She was estimated to be approximately one and a half years old at the time. Weak, malnourished, and without her mother, Summer weighed only 53 pounds and required dedicated care 24 hours a day, 7 days a week after arriving at Clearwater Marine Aquarium. The strong will of staff members and volunteers who dedicated their time, day and night, over the following six months helped stabilize her condition. However, due to her young age and lack of survival skills, National Marine Fisheries Service declared her non-releasable and selected Dolphin Research Center as her forever home. On Jan. 27, 2015, she arrived at DRC. Summer is a very bold little dolphin but sometimes questions new things. She is very quick and agile, zipping around different areas of her lagoon, playing with her other young friends. She has come a long way from where she started.

Nicknames: Sum, Summy Sums

Our Mission - Through education, research and rescue, Dolphin Research Center promotes peaceful coexistence, cooperation and communication between marine mammals, humans and the environment we share with the well being of DRC's animals taking precedence.
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