CLEARWATER, Fla. — The day-to-day menu doesn't change much for the residents who call the Clearwater Marine Aquarium home, but according to senior animal care specialist Kaylee Rhieu, they don't mind a heavy diet of fish. 

“Each dolphin is different so the amount we feed them pounds-wise is given to us by our vet staff," Rhieu said. 

Working alongside a dedicated staff at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, Rhieu helps rehabilitate and care for dolphins that can't be released back into the wild, something she said has always been her dream job. 

“I definitely feel like I am one of the few that had this childhood dream to do this and followed through with it," she said. 

Rhieu grew up in Florida, so she was familiar with dolphins from a very young age. She said she remembers visiting places like the Clearwater Marine Aquarium as a child and talking with animal care specialists, quickly learning that she wanted to follow in their footsteps. She eventually earned a degree in marine biology from the University of South Florida. 

“I ended up interning here and I learned how to care for these animals, and Clearwater Marine Aquarium actually remembered me and asked me to come back and interview for one of the positions,” Rhieu said. 

That was six years ago, and since then, she's been working alongside the aquarium’s dolphins.

What makes the aquarium’s interactive program so unique for visitors is the devotion to conversation and education. During its dolphin encounters and experiences, they get poolside with animal care specialists like Rhieu who will teach visitors each of the dolphins’ unique rescue stories. 

It's a chance to not only learn about the dolphins, but also to expand knowledge of Earth’s aquatic ecosystems. The visit might result in a new passion and dream to one day become a marine biologist. 

"I love what I do every day,” Rhieu said. “It's a dream." 

The aquarium’s bottlenose and rough-toothed dolphin experiences are by appointment only, so visitors must call ahead or book their experience online. For more information on how to do that, head to the Clearwater Marine Aquarium website. The aquarium's regular hours are 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. daily, except on some holidays, but extended hours on select dates can be found on the website.