ORLANDO, Fla. – SeaWorld Orlando has officially shared the name of the dolphin it helped rescue earlier this summer on Clearwater Beach.
On social media, the park said the dolphin’s name will be Ridgway, named in honor of the late Dr. Sam Ridgway who created a legacy as a pioneer in marine mammal medicine and science.
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The public was given the chance to cast their vote on a name for the small dolphin calf, which is now in rehabilitation.
Ridgway was rescued back on July 20 after being found with life-threatening injuries sustained from entanglement in crab trap lines. Teams from Clearwater Marine Aquarium and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) transported the dolphin to a backstage area at SeaWorld for urgent medical care and rehabilitation.
Since that time, Ridgway’s condition has greatly improved.
NOAA has since deemed Ridgway non-releasable due to his young age. Teams at SeaWorld Orlando now plan to move the dolphin to the theme park’s Dolphin Nursery area where the public can view him as teams continue around-the-clock care and bottle feedings.
Earlier this year, SeaWorld announced that the company had surpassed 40,000 animal rescues in its history.
Click here to learn more about SeaWorld’s commitment to animal rescue, rehabilitation and return program.
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