Winter the dolphin swims Aug. three, 2011, at Clearwater Marine Aquarium in Clearwater, Fla. Winter starred within the “Dolphin Tale” films has died at a Florida aquarium regardless of life-saving efforts by animal care consultants. The Clearwater Marine Aquarium mentioned the 16-year-outdated feminine bottlenose dolphin died Thursday whereas being handled for a gastrointestinal abnormality. (Chris O’Meara/Associated Press file)

Chris O’Meara

CLEARWATER, Fla. – Amy Carmichael lives greater than four,000 miles from the Florida aquarium that housed Winter, the “Dolphin Tale” film star with a prosthetic tail that died this week at 16. But Carmichael, who has efficiently fought leukemia a lot of her life, felt a powerful bond.

“It’s not just a dolphin, it’s a special dolphin,” Carmichael, 17, mentioned by cellphone from her residence in Stonehouse, Scotland, on Friday. “She was rescued and had to battle through. I think that made me feel like I can do that. I was battling through, too.”

Like many individuals with diseases and disabilities, Carmichael acquired to fulfill Winter just a few years in the past at the bottlenose dolphin’s residence within the Clearwater Marine Aquarium on Florida’s Gulf Coast. Those journeys impressed folks from autistic kids to troopers with lacking limbs earlier than Winter died Thursday of a gastrointestinal ailment, saddening fans all over the world.

“Winter was an extraordinary creature. She inspired millions of people all over the world with her courage, her fortitude and her joy,” mentioned Andrew Kosove and Broderick Johnson, producers of the 2011 movie “Dolphin Tale” that instructed the story of Winter’s restoration from an amputated tail – it had been entangled in a crab lure rope, chopping circulation – via unprecedented use of a prosthetic one.

“She may no longer be with us in body, but her indominable spirit will continue on through the lives of all those that she touched,” mentioned a press release from the 2 producers, who run Alcon Entertaintment.

The movie, starring Harry Connick Jr., Ashley Judd, Kris Kristofferson, Morgan Freeman and Nathan Gamble, was largely shot at the Clearwater aquarium and surrounding Tampa Bay places.

The movie put the nonprofit aquarium, first opened in 1972 on the location of a former water remedy plant, on the map internationally. The facility, which additionally operates sea turtle and manatee rescue applications, lately accomplished an $80 million renovation that features a massive new dolphin tank – largely as a result of of the crowds drawn by Winter.

Fifteen-year-outdated Angelina Bongiovanni of Washington Township, New Jersey, fell in love with Winter the primary time she noticed “Dolphin Tale,” her mom mentioned.

Angelina, who was born with a coronary heart defect that required a number of surgical procedures, a particularly uncommon chromosome dysfunction and autism, noticed the film throughout a hospital keep.

“It touched her like we’ve never seen. She just became so inspired by Winter. That’s all she talked about,” mentioned her mom, Laura Bongiovanni.

Once she acquired out of the hospital, Angelina saved asking to go see Winter at the aquarium. The household deliberate a visit to Clearwater and Angelina was “overjoyed,” her mom mentioned. “She was talking to her, she was interacting with her.”

It was not simple for Winter to get to that time.

Shortly after the dolphin arrived after her 2005 rescue, the aquarium started working with Hanger Clinic, the nation’s largest supplier of prosthetic limbs, to create her tail. While Winter might need survived with out one, utilizing her aspect flippers to swim, that will have led to skeletal misalignment and different well being points.

Clearwater Marine Aquarium senior marine mammal coach Abby Stone works with Winter the dolphin Aug. 31, 2011, in Clearwater, Fla. (Chris O’Meara/Associated Press file)

Chris O’Meara

Kevin Carroll, Hanger’s vice chairman of prosthetics, mentioned a significant impediment was attaching the tail with out damaging Winter’s pores and skin. That’s typically an issue for people who put on prosthetics and is much more acute in dolphins, which have pores and skin so skinny that it may be lower with a fingernail, Carroll mentioned.

Through trial and error, Carroll’s group created a smooth silicone-like sleeve, now marketed as WintersGel. The prosthetic tail then slid snugly over the sleeve. Such sleeves at the moment are used for human prosthetics and have all however eradicated pores and skin sores, he mentioned.

“She was a fantastic patient – very accepting,” Carroll mentioned.

Winter died about eight p.m. Thursday whereas being held by animal care consultants who had been making ready the dolphin for a process to take care of her intestinal issues, in line with a Clearwater aquarium assertion. The facility was closed Friday, partially to mourn the loss of its most well-known resident. It was scheduled to reopen Saturday.

A memorial service is ready for Nov. 20 to honor Winter. The aquarium’s president, James Powell, mentioned no different animals at the aquarium had been ailing together with Hope, one other rescued dolphin who appeared with Winter within the “Dolphin Tale 2” sequel.

No animal will fairly exchange Winter, he mentioned.

“The world is so sad to have lost an animal ambassador that has inspired us all,” Powell mentioned. “I get teary-eyed all the time seeing the way she has changed people’s lives. The response has been overwhelming. It’s very touching.”

Associated Press writers Terry Spencer and Freida Frisaro in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, contributed to this story.