4. Suzy The Dolphin
The film Flipper was released in 1963 and was followed by a spin-off TV series that ran from the following year until 1967. Concerning the crime-fighting (and mostly aquatic) antics of its titular character at a marine park in Florida, Flipper was portrayed by five different female dolphins, the most predominant of which was a bottle-nose dolphin captured in the wild named Suzy. Not only was the show a worldwide hit, entrancing millions of school kids on a Saturday morning, but the show, and Suzy herself indirectly, can be credited with a massive surge of interest in performing dolphins. The aftermath of the show saw a multi-billion dollar rise in dolphinariums. While Suzy may not have been the most prolific or highest-earning animal on the list, she is certainly the only one to be credited with a booming industry. The end of Suzy's story is tinged with sadness. Having been born free in the wild, she died in captivity as a retired performer. She achieved something with her fame that echoes today, however: I mean, who doesn't adore dolphins?