Happy 58th birthday Nellie

Nellie the bottle-nosed dolphin was born on February 27, 1953 in the salt-water tanks at Marine Studios on the St. Johns and Flagler county border; along SR-A1A and the Atlantic Coast.

This Sunday at 11:00 a.m., February 27th, Nellie will celebrate her birthday with Marineland staff and visitors at the Dolphin Conservation Center at Marineland located at 9600 Oceanshore Boulevard in St. Augustine.

Historic City News readers will have the opportunity to be part of the celebration which will include a fish-and-ice cake made especially for the birthday girl, along with a round of “Happy Birthday” performed by all of her friends and fans. Cake more suitable to the tastes of her human party guests will follow.

Both of Nellie’s parents, “Susie” and “Happy”, were part of the Marine Studios family, and, Nellie delivered a son, who is appropriately named “Sunny” and who has been living at Marineland since 1984.

Although Nellie holds the record for being the oldest dolphin born in a marine park and remaining in human care, however, it is likely that she is also the oldest dolphin in human care anywhere in the world. Nellie can be easily identified by her large size, large curved dorsal fin and dark coloration.

Photo credits: © 2011 Historic City News contributed photograph by Marineland of Florida