Be Winter’s Valentine at Clearwater Marine Aquarium

Love is in the air — and water — at Clearwater Marine Aquarium (CMA) during its Valentine’s Day celebration, which runs through Feb. 14.

Through Wednesday, children 12 and younger will receive $9.99 admission when they bring a Valentine’s Day card for Winter the dolphin, star of the Dolphin Tale movies, or any of the other resident rescued animals. These cards will be displayed at Clearwater Marine Aquarium.

Guests will be able to celebrate love with a variety of fun activities throughout the Be Winter’s Valentine celebration. There will be a Valentine’s dive presentations each day, a giant Valentine’s Day card to sign, a photo opportunity with ‘Be Winter’s Valentine’ photo frame, Valentine’s themed glitter tattoos, ‘Pinn the Kiss’ on Winter and other Valentine’s Day games, as well as coloring stations for kids.

The grand finale of the Be Winter’s Valentine celebration will be an underwater wedding in CMA’s sea turtle habitat, Mavis’ Hideaway. Tune in to Clearwater Marine Aquarium’s Facebook page at 10 a.m. on Feb. 14 to watch the couple dive into happily ever after!

Next weekend, Clearwater Marine Aquarium showcases more family friendly fun and hands-on learning activities during Marine Science Fest.

From Feb. 17 to 19, visitors will be able to participate in:

** Games featuring dorsal ID matching, sustainable seafood and ocean impacts

** Ocean-themed trivia

** A microscope activity

** A raffle to name a wild dolphin

Partner organizations that will take part in the weekend include Keep Pinellas Beautiful, Suncoast Concholigists Shell Club, University of South Florida, Tampa Bay Watch and Eckerd Shark Conservation Group.

All activities are included with general admission. Children ages 3 to 12 pay $17.95 when purchased in advance online. Children ages 2 and younger are free. Adults are $22.95 and seniors (ages 60 and older) are $20.95. Regular operating hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily.

Clearwater Marine Aquarium is just a 90-minute drive from Orlando. It’s not a planned tourist attraction, so don’t expect elaborate displays, shows and rides. What you will find at the working hospital is amazing in its own right — volunteers and staff working to save animals, and you can visit the creatures and talk with the trainers. Plus, if you’ve seen “Dolphin Tale” and “Dolphin Tale 2,” it’s fun to recognize and walk through the places featured in the movies.