The inspirational dolphin Winter, who warmed the heart of the nation in Dolphin Tale (2011), is back again  in Dolphin Tale 2. On Sept. 12, 2014, Warner Bros. released Dolphin Tale 2, the sequel to Dolphin Tale which takes place three years after the original movie.

In the first Dolphin Tale, Winter overcame the  complications after her tail was caught in a crab trap with the help of the Clearwater Marine Aquarium (CMA) staff. In this sequel however, Winter as well as the rest of the CMA staff deal with new losses and challenges that make them stronger then ever before.

Due to the death of Winter’s surrogate mother,Winter stops eating, refuses to wear her prosthetic tail, and her health deteriorates as well. This results in a USDA official coming to inspect her and later gives the announcement that it is illegal to isolate Winter under the law that any female dolphin must be paired with another female dolphin, and if not done in 30 days she will be located elsewhere.

Everyone at the aquarium hopes to have Mandy, a dolphin whom they rescued earlier, to be paired with Winter. However due to Mandy’s superb health, she gets released back to the ocean, and the search for a new dolphin is on.

At a bon voyage party for Sawyer,the lovable boy who found Winter in the first movie, there is an announcement of a juvenile female dolphin who has been injured whom they name Hope. The journey leading to Hope and Winter accepting each other is a difficult one, due to Winter’s bodily complications but they eventually learn to accept one another

With an array of actors like Morgan Freeman and Ashley Judd, the movie was a big hit. This family friendly movie is both heartwarming and inspiring. It balances the right amount of drama and humor, and teaches children that even the most difficult of challenges can be overcome. Overall, Dolphin Tale 2, was a huge success.