One of the most famous dolphin sagas of all times came to a close in November when Winter, the marine mammal whose amazing story of survival inspired the film “Dolphin Tale,” died due to an intestinal abnormality.

In 2005, when the bottlenose dolphin was just two months old, Winter was brought to the Clearwater Marine Aquarium after she was discovered entangled in a crab trap line off the coast of Cape Canaveral, Florida. The trap had cut off blood flow to the dolphin’s tail fluke for long enough that it was no longer functional and needed to be amputated.

After amputation, a team of scientists and engineers designed a prosthetic tail for Winter to allow her to swim normally. She remained at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium for the remaining 16 years of her life.

The 2011 film “Dolphin Tale,” from Warner Brother’s studios, tells the story of a dolphin named Winter who loses her tail after it is entangled in a crab trap and a shy boy named Sawyer, played by Nathan Gamble, who befriends her. Harry Connick Jr., who starred in film and its 2014 sequel “Dolphin Tale 2,” offered his condolences on Instagram.

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Andrew Kosove and Broderick Johnson, who produced the “Dolphin Tale” movies, also released a joint statement on the dolphin’s death.

"Winter was an extraordinary creature. She inspired millions of people all over the world with her courage, her fortitude, and her joy," the statement says. “She may no longer be with us in body, but her indomitable spirit will continue on through the lives of all those that she touched.”

Winter’s gastrointestinal issue was discovered only a week and a half before her death. The team at Clearwater Marine Aquarium brought in animal care experts from across the U.S. to treat her, but nothing proved successful. The location of the twisted intestine was impossible to reach through surgery.

“While we are heartbroken by Winter's death, we are comforted knowing that our team did everything possible to give her the best chance at survival,” veterinarian Dr. Shelly Marquardt says in a statement. “We worked with specialists and marine mammal experts from around the country to provide her with the best care available. I'm honored to work alongside such dedicated and talented professionals who gave their all for Winter.”

In the aquarium statement goes on to say intestinal torsion is an ailment suffered by both wild and captive dolphins, and Winter’s injury and bodily distortion likely made her more vulnerable to this kind of health complication.

Clearwater Marine Aquarium held a public Celebration of Life for Winter that ran from November 20 through the 24th. Fans of Winter’s from around the world have expressed their sympathies after the dolphin’s death.

“The CMA team expresses our deepest gratitude to the thousands of people from around the world who sent caring messages for Winter,” the aquarium staff writes in a statement. “She truly inspired hope and was loved by millions of people worldwide.”

In lieu of flowers, Clearwater Marine Aquarium has asked those so inclined to donate to the aquarium’s marine rescue, rehabilitation and release efforts. A fund set up at RememberingWinter.com had raised over $37,000 for the aquarium at the time of publication.