Despite rescue efforts by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and being transported to[1]Clearwater Marine Aquarium, her injuries were too severe and the majority of her tail was lost to necrosis.

The team at Clearwater Marine Aquarium made intensive efforts to accommodate Winter and give her a good quality of life.

Winter's new tail was used primarily for physical therapy and allowed her to swim with the same speed, flexibility and maneuverability as a dolphin with a biological fluke.

Winter was found in the ropes of a crab trap on December 10, 2005[4] in Mosquito Lagoon of the coastal waters of Florida.

[9] Knowledge gleaned from treating Winter was applied to human amputees, as when Carroll used the same gel sleeve concept to ease painful prosthetic limbs for United States Air Force senior airman Brian Kolfage, who lost both legs and his right hand in a 2004 mortar attack in Iraq.

[5][10] Winter became the most popular attraction at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium and was viewed as an inspiration to people with disabilities.

[19] On November 7, 2021, Clearwater Marine Aquarium announced early tests that indicated Winter was showing signs of a gastrointestinal infection.