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A touch of splash

Valentine's Day weekend brings Romance With the Sea, featuring loveable rescued marine animals at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium. The reduced admission price includes music, children'sactivities and a nautical flea market.

CLEARWATER - After noting a barely discernable hand signal, he lifted his shiny 650-pound body out of the tank and treaded water for about 20 seconds, looking her dead in the eye.

Then, with her permission, he dropped back into the froth and did a little dance, turning himself around and around while the audience clapped.

It was another flawless performance by Presley, the 16-year-old star dolphin at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium. Melissa Koberna, the aquarium's senior trainer, rewarded him with a huge handful of herring that he gobbled down without chewing.

Presley, who was born at SeaWorld San Diego and is now on loan from the New York Aquarium, will repeat the show several times during the annual Romance With the Sea event at the facility this weekend.

This Valentine's weekend event is all about love - love of the sea.

It features reduced admission price, live entertainment, mini "eco-cruise" adventures, games, crafts, exhibitors and something new this year, a "nautical flea market," featuring boats and boating goods.

"It's (put on) for awareness," said Joe Malo, the aquarium's educational outreach coordinator. "We can spread the word about the aquarium and tell people about our rehab work."

Visitors this weekend will get a chance to see many of the rescued marine life in tanks throughout the facility.

One little resident is Oliver, a turtle. A simple card on his tank describes him as a "disoriented hatchling" who emerged from a nest somewhere in Pinellas County. He was found Sept. 1, 2003, floating near Honeymoon Island, possibly dropped by a sea gull who meant to eat him.

Now on the mend, the loggerhead turtle eats a steady diet of capelin and weighs 223 grams.

Visitors will also see two North American river otters, Maya and Cooper, play in their enclosure.

Cooper was found in someone's garage in St. Petersburg when he was just a pup. He had lots of abrasions and was partially paralyzed. Aquarium officials theorize he may have been hit by a car during his suburban adventure.

Maya, his playmate, was found emaciated in someone's back yard in 2000. She now is now healthy, weighs 25 pounds and loves to roughhouse.

"The nice thing is, every animal here has a story," said Dale Schmidt, the aquarium's executive director.

Although it's fun to see Maya, Cooper and even Moe, the huge 40-year-old resident loggerhead, not to mention the three stingrays in the touch tank, the stars clearly are Presley and his tank mate, Panama.

Panama doesn't do many stunts. She was living in the wild before recently beaching herself on Panama Beach. At age 26, the old dolphin can't be taught new tricks.

She does, however, enjoy pulling on a rope toy, and seems to make eye contact with visitors who gather near the tank.

But visitors will not be allowed to pet her.

"Most (of the marine animals) come in from the wild and are not predictable," Malo explained.

- Eileen Schulte can be reached at 727 445-4153 or schulte@sptimes.com

If you love marine animals, don't miss Romance With the Sea from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, 249 Windward Passage, Clearwater. The event features a nautical flea market, exhibitors, animals, demonstrations, information, live music, food and a children's activity area with face painting, shark's tooth crafts and much more. Admission to the aquarium has been reduced to $5 for the event (children six and under admitted free). Proceeds help feed and care for sick and injured marine life. For information, call (727) 441-1790.