Hemingway the Dolphin

In Memory of Hemingway

January 23, 2023

Our team is heartbroken this morning. At approximately 1:30 a.m. today our beloved rescued dolphin Hemingway passed away, surrounded by his Animal Care and Veterinary teams. 

Hemingway was estimated to be about 37 years old. He was found stranded off Fiesta Key, Florida in July 2019 and joined Clearwater Marine Aquarium’s family in June 2020 after he was deemed non releasable due to hearing loss and ongoing health concerns. Hemingway lived at the Ruth & J.O. Stone Dolphin Complex with Apollo and Nicholas.

Animal Care staff noticed a change in Hemingway’s behavior late last week and began treating him for a suspected gastrointestinal condition. CMA’s Veterinary team contacted veterinary experts, including our veterinary radiologist who assisted us in the past with GI diagnosis and treatment.

Together, our team did all that was possible to keep Hemingway comfortable. He will be missed by us all. A necropsy will be performed in an attempt to determine the cause of death.

Clearwater Marine Aquarium is proud to provide a home to rescued, non-releasable, and compromised animals, like Hemingway, who need managed care. For the past 50 years, we have served as a marine animal hospital and champion for marine life conservation. During his time with us, CMA staff was able to share Hemingway’s story and the importance of protecting dolphins in the wild. Our team learned new practices and continued to improve our approach in caring for dolphins with hearing loss. We are forever grateful for the time we had with Hemingway and are proud of our staff and volunteers for the level of care we provide to all the animals in our care.

We appreciate all the love and support from our community as we mourn his passing.