Convince Terri and Bindi Irwin to visit Winter the Dolphin

In respone to Bindi Irwin's newly released direct-to-DVD film Free Willy: Escape from Pirate's Cove, this petition has been created to get wildlife conservation activists Terri and Bindi Irwin to visit Winter the Dolphin and support the many wildlife conservation efforts made by the Clearwater Marine Aquarium. The promtion for Bindi's movie may be over, but there is always a chance they can still support and/or visit CMA and know the story of Winter the Dolphin. The mother and daugther pair, who operate the Queensland-based Australia Zoo, also own an on-site wildlife rescue facility which rescues and rehabilitate sick, orphaned, and injured Australian wildlife in need in hopes of oneday returning them back into the wild. Like Australia Zoo's Australian Wildlife Hosital, the Clearwater Marine Aquarium in Clearwater, FL, also has a reputation for rescuing and rehabilitating marine wildlife in need. It escues, rehabilitates, and release cetaceans, otters, and sea turtles in need. If the animals are not releasable, then sometimes they are given a permanent home at Clearwater Marine Aquarium where they serve as the aquarium's ambassadors. They also do a lot of work on sea turtle conservation such as monitoring turtle nests in beaches of Pinellas County, FL as well as rescuing, rehabilitating, and releasing sick and injured sea turtles. 
In 2009, CMA reported over 138 nests all over beaches in Pinellas County. Recently, they have been religiously involved in the January 2010 strandings of a number of cold-stunned turtles who have fallen victim to the unseasonable cold temperatures in Florida. Jojo, was the first of those cold-stunned turtles to be successfully released on February 2, 2010. In the summer of 2010, CMA took in six sea turtles that were inflicted by the BP's April 20th Deep Water Horizon Gulf Coast Oil Spill Disaster. After the turtles received a second rehabilitation and check up exam, they were soon released in waters off Southwest Florida. They were not alone during this project; they also assisted by rescue staff from aquariums from all over Florida

The most famous resident living at CMA is Winter, a juvenile Atlantic bottlenose dolphin who was born around September 2005 off the coast of Florida. This makes her around 4 years old as of September 21st, 2009. One day on December 9th, 2005, Winter found herself entangled in a blue crab trap in Mosquito Lagoon near Cape Canaveral, FL. She would remain trapped for the next 36 hours. Then, the next day, Winter was saved by the rescue staff from the Clearwater Marine Aquarium and the Hubbs-SeaWorld Institute the next day on December 10th, that same year. When she was freed, Winter was in serious condition that she was not expected to survive. She was then sent to the Clearwater Marine Aquarium in Clearwater, FL that same day where her rehabilitation began. With blood cut off as a result of being in the trap for so long, Winter lost both her entire tail and two vertebrae. In the Wild, dolphins having no tail can lead to either serious injury or even death. Winter on the other hand, was now in human care but still had to learn how to swim in a very different pattern that is similar to that of fish and snakes. She had now adapted to this swim pattern as well as eating on her own for the first few days of her arrival, she was hand fed by the vets and volunteers who rescued her. They used a tube to feed her. In 2006, CMA announced plans to create a bionic tail for Winter. So for several months, people everywhere collected money for the project. In August 2007, Winter was fitted in her first artificial tail that was created by Hanger Prosthetics and Orthotics, Inc. Winter would only become the second captive dolphin to ever receive an artificial tail. ver the course of a number of months, Winter had to learn how to use the correct body position to be fitted for the stretchy plastic sleeve. This is the one that is mainly used for human prosthetics. Her trainers have also created one that is more form-fitted version of this sleeve. The sleeve will probably have to be adjusted as Winter gets older. Today, Winter continues to thrive as a "bionic" but tailless dolphin at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium's dolphin exhibit. Over the years since her rescue and arrival at CMA in 2005, She has inspired people from around the world to know, love, and care about the plight of dolphins in the wild. She has even inspired those who suffer from disabilities to overcome their limits.
 As we mentioned, Bindi currently stars in a new movie called Free Willy: Escape from Pirate's Cove in which she plays a young girl who tries to rescue and rehabilitate a stranded killer whale in South Africa. We believe that Terri and Bindi should use that movie and CMA's rescue efforts comparrision to Australia Zoo's wildlife efforts to get to know Winter the Dolphin and support the Clearwater Marine Aquarium. With Terri and Bindi's support, CMA would then be able to recieve a strong celebrity support that may eventually (if possible) result in a documentary about Winter and CMA creatred by Bindi and Terri Irwin. This strong celebrity support would allow both the Australian and New Zealand public to get to know Winter, CMA's conservation efforts, and dolphin conservation efforts in Florida waters. Winter's story may even inspire them to help dolphins in the wild. So please help convince Terri and Bindi Irwin to visit and support Clearwater Marine Aquarium and thank you very much.