TAMPA, Fla. — The sudden death of an 8-year-old dolphin on Monday made for a grim statistic at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium.
Rex became the fourth dolphin to die in 16 months. In the previous 20 years, three dolphins died at the aquarium, which rescues sick and injured marine animals and exhibits those that cannot be released back to the wild.
The spate of deaths occurred around a period of flux for the Clearwater landmark, with three CEO changes, staff turnover and declining visitor attendance.
