INDIAN RIVER COUNTY —Renowned marine mammal rescue expert and island resident Steve McCulloch will attend the red carpet premiere of “Dolphin Tale 2” in Los Angeles on Sept. 7. He also appears in the movie along with island veterinarian Dr. Juli Goldstein.
The film starring Harry Connick Jr., Ashley Judd and Morgan Freeman is a sequel to the 2011 hit movie “Dolphin Tale,” which was No. 1 at the box office three years ago. The original film tells the story of a rescued bottlenose dolphin named Winter that was fitted with a revolutionary artificial tail at Clearwater Marine Aquarium with the help of McCulloch and Goldstein.
The sequel, which opens in Florida on Sept. 10, portrays the rescue and rehabilitation of a second dolphin, Hope, that became Winter’s companion.
“Steve and Juli were a big part of Winter’s and Hope’s stories and we want them there at the premiere so we are flying them out,” says David Yates, CEO of Clearwater Marine Aquarium. He came up with the idea for “Dolphin Tale 2” and is one of the film’s producers.
Goldstein, a marine mammal expert, and McCulloch responded when Hope was found near death in the Northern Indian River Lagoon and transported her to Clearwater.
“When we arrived Hope was minutes from death [from dehydration and stress]. Her respirations and heart rate were off the chart,” says McCulloch. He and Goldstein stabilized the two-month-old animal and managed to keep her alive during a 170-mile journey across the state.
Hope arrived at the Clearwater Aquarium on the night of the wrap party for the first film, which was shot primarily on location.
“The timing was unbelievable,” says Yates. “When I tell people about it, they usually shake their head and ask me, ‘What really happened?’
“One of my first thoughts was that we might have the elements of a sequel on our hands.”
“The whole story was pretty extraordinary from the beginning,” says John Berry, who wrote a four-part series about Winter’s rehabilitation and growing celebrity for the St. Petersburg Times. “Both dolphins were babies when they were found and had lost their mothers, which meant they would normally have been euthanized, especially since Winter was maimed. That they survived was amazing, and then they came up with the audacious idea of making Winter an artificial tail.”
Kevin Carroll, an executive with prosthetics company Hanger Clinic, heard an interview in which Yates talked about the dolphin without a tail and called to offer help.
The tail was made by Hanger employee Dan Strzempka who relies on a prosthetic himself after losing a foot in a childhood accident. He plunged into a study of dolphin biomechanics and worked closely with the Clearwater Aquarium team, designing dozens of unsuccessful prototypes over the period of a year before finally coming up with the tail that enables Winter to swim today.
“Steve and Juli were on the original idea team that came up with the concept of an artificial tail and worked to refine it,” says Yates. “They were heavily involved throughout Winter’s rehabilitation. They came across the state numerous times, brought us equipment and actually mentored our staff. They really helped us out a lot.”
Winter and Hope survived and are swimming together at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium because of the dedicated efforts of Yates, McCulloch, Goldstein, Strzempka and dozens of other people who worked countless hours over many months to save them.
And the dolphins have returned the favor.
A unique elastomer invented by Strzempka to make the artificial tail adhere to Winter’s sensitive skin now enables injured children to wear their artificial limbs with more security and comfort, and Clearwater Marine Aquarium has had a 10-fold increase in attendance, turning a failing institution to a world leader in marine mammal rescue and rehabilitation.
Founded in an abandoned wastewater treatment plant on Clearwater’s barrier island in 1972 to rescue and rehabilitate marine animals, the aquarium was on the skids by the time Yates arrived in February 2006.
“I was brought in to turn things around,” says Yates. “But when I walked in the door I found the most dysfunctional organization I have ever come across. The building was falling apart, donors had left and we had only enough money left to operate for two or three more months before we would have to close our doors.”
But Yates soon identified another resource besides the aquarium’s dedicated employees and dwindling supply of cash. Winter had arrived at the facility a short time before and was still struggling for survival, with necrosis eating up her tail.
As the former CEO of the Ironman Triathlon, a worldwide athletic phenomenon he promoted and made successful, Yates had great leadership skills and media savvy to spare.
Somehow, he knew there was a compelling story to be told about Winter and immediately went to work getting word out about the improbable rescue, the idea for an artificial tail, the success of the device when it was finally designed and the impact of dolphin on people around her.
“Winter’s story was layered and we told it in stages – the rescue, the tail, Winter working with kids – in a two-year media campaign,” Yates says. “We were featured on five Today Show segments, each focusing on a new element of the developing story.”
The dolphin, who stars as her playful self in both movies, became an international celebrity, appearing on CBS Early Show, Good Morning America, NBC Nightly News, CNN, BBC and hundreds of local affiliate stations. Her story was told in major magazines and newspapers in the U.S. and around the world.
Before long, Hollywood came calling.
After discussions with Yates, Warner Brothers and Alcon Entertainment latched onto the story. The screenplay was written by Karen Janszen, who wrote the second “Free Willy” movie. Connick, Judd, Freeman and a pair of unknown child actors signed on and Alcon brought in Charles Martin Smith to direct.
Four years after the first phone call, in September 2011, “Dolphin Tale” debuted to startling success. Powered by strong word of mouth it beat back stiff competition from “Lion King 3” and Brad Pitt’s “Moneyball” to claim the No. 1 spot at the box office during the second week of release.
Filmed in Clearwater, mainly at the aquarium, the movie had an estimated budget of $37 million and pulled in nearly $100 million at the box office.
With its success, a trend of increased attendance and revenue at the aquarium fostered by the media campaign accelerated, rescuing the institution that had rescued Winter.
“The year I arrived, we had attendance of 78,000 and an annual budget of $1.6 million,” says Yates. By 2012, attendance was 750,000 and revenue has now increased to more than $20 million. Yates expects as many as 900,000 visitors next year after release of new movie.
“The money goes right back into the facility to make sure we have all the right pumps and filters and medical equipment and everything else we need to care for the animals,” he says.
“Dave took responsibility for Winter when Clearwater Marine Aquarium was at its low point,” says McCulloch. “With the financial success of the first film, he used those funds to expand on CMA’s capacity to aid sick and injured marine life and built a state of the art rehabilitation facility.”
When Steve and Juli arrived with the baby dolphin in the middle of the wrap party for “Dolphin Tale” there was already a new tank ready to receive her.
“Alcon was very generous and built us a new tank,” says Yates. “Without that, we would not have had a place to put Hope.”
Hope’s arrival was providential for Winter, which is the story told in “Dolphin Tale 2.”
Dolphins need to live with at least one other dolphin to be well and happy and Winter’s only companion at the aquarium, an aging female named Panama, died not long after Hope arrived. Without a companion, Winter would have had to be moved to another aquarium, but by the time Panama departed Hope and Winter had bonded.
Yates says the budget for “Dolphin Tale 2” was about the same as the budget for the first movie. If it is as successful at the box office and as a magnet for visitors and donations, the aquarium hopes to expand to second location across the bridge in downtown Clearwater.
A brochure with illustrations and details about the new facility can be seen here: http://www.seewinter.com/sites/default/files/BuildingHope.pdf
In the meantime, McCulloch and Goldstein are packing their bags for a flight to the West Coast. The red carpet premiere will take place at the Regency Theater in Westwood, an Art Deco landmark long favored by Hollywood for gala debuts.
“Because it is a family film, it is a daytime premiere,” Yates says. “The movie starts at 11 a.m. and there will be an outdoor party for VIPS on a roped-off street afterward with food and drinks and games for the kids.”
“It is very gratifying to know that you played a small but key role in saving a life,” says McCulloch. “That both baby dolphins would grow up to become larger than life characters and have their inspirational stories depicted in feature films seen around the world is indeed a credit to David Yates leadership.
“Winter helped pay it forward so that Hope and other injured marine animals would stand a better chance of survival. And now the story continues as CMA positions for continued growth and long-term financial sustainability.”
