Click here to adopt!

Your donation towards a symbolic adoption helps to provide care for Nicholas for one year.  The standard donation is one-time donation at time of purchase.  A recurring donation option is available but not required.
If you are adopting as a gift, please enter the recipient information in the donation message field. 
Please make certain to select a reward level under the "Donation Details" screen.  In order to receive the adoption items a reward level must be selected.
On December 24, 2002, a female Atlantic bottlenose dolphin and male calf stranded near Gibsonton, Florida and were transported to the Florida Aquarium and then relocated to Clearwater Marine Aquarium for long-term medical care.
In honor of their Christmas Eve arrival, we named the cow Noelle and her calf, Nicholas. The 380-pound adult female, Noelle, had sustained third degree burns around her dorsal fin and was believed to have respiratory illness. Unfortunately, she passed away on December 27, 2002.
Nicholas did not make a suitable candidate for release because of his dependent status at the time of his stranding and rehabilitation. He lacks the necessary survival skills, such as hunting and the skills to protect himself from predators, all of which he can only learn from his mother. Atlantic bottlenose dolphin calves associate with their mothers for several years and during that time they will learn all the necessary life skills needed to survive in the wild.
Today, Nicholas is smart and energetic. He loves figuring out problems during training sessions and is known for doing a flip or two when he gets an answer right. Make sure you visit Nick at the stranding deck on your next visit!

For more information, please contact [email protected]