On the Set: Dolphin Tale

First, there was Flipper. Then, there were Willy and Andre. Now, there’s Winter — a real, live dolphin who plays herself in the film Dolphin Tale — which earned our “No Animals Were Harmed”®end-credit certification.
One other interesting fact about Winter: She has no tail!

Caught in a Crab Trap
Animal experts found Winter on a beach in Florida tangled in a crab trap line when she was just 3 months old. They rescued her and took her to Clearwater Marine Aquarium for rehabilitation — but the baby dolphin lost her tail.

Enter Morgan Freeman. He plays the doctor in the film who creates a prosthetic tail for Winter.
“He’s a really nice guy, and always a pleasure to work with,” said Gina Johnson, our Film & TV Unit’s Certified Animal Safety Representative who monitored the animal action in Dolphin Tale, which also stars Harry Connick Jr. and Ashley Judd.

Miss Congeniality
Freeman wasn’t the only pleasure on the set. The first time the film crew turned on the big, underwater camera, Winter swam up and rested her nose and mouth on the cameraman’s shoulder.
“These animals are very playful and like to be interacted with,” said Johnson, who knows a lot about sea animals from her experience as a marine park veterinary technician. “She was showing us more and more that she wanted to be a part of it.”

One of a Kind
It’s a good thing she wanted the part, because there are no other tail-less dolphins to play her role. Usually, film crews use several animals to play one part, so the animals can get enough rest time. With Winter, the crew had to work in breaks every couple of hours.
“When [dolphins] don’t want to work , they just stop,” Johnson said. “We didn’t want to push her so much that she didn’t want to do it anymore.”

A Natural Therapist
Winter’s story of resilience and survival has been an inspiration to many people with injuries — especially military veterans. In the film, Winter helps a veteran who suffers from depression after losing his leg in battle.

Through American Humane Association’s Animal-Assisted Therapy program, dogs, cats and other animals give comfort to military families and other people in need — just like Winter.