ATLANTA — Betty White, the beloved entertainer and cultural icon who reportedly died on Friday at the age of 99, left her mark just about everywhere.
And in Atlanta, at least, she left it at the aquarium. As the world thanks White for being a friend, locally she made a memorable friend Downtown at the Georgia Aquarium.
The "Golden Girls" actress visited the country's largest aquarium back in 2010 and shared a moment with a beluga whale named Beethoven, before returning the next year when the aquarium named its new mascot after her.
White was well-known for her love of animals and advocacy with animal organizations.
Old Facebook posts from the Georgia Aquarium document her time there.
The oldest shows that White first visited in Oct. 2010. That's where she first met Beethoven, as the aquarium put it rubbing elbows - or fins - with the beluga.
White was back in Atlanta the next summer for the occasion of meeting the aquarium mascot named in her honor and, she said, to see Beethoven again.
"Dolphin mascot has been named! We've been waiting for our dear friend Betty White's return to the Georgia Aquarium to make our official announcement that we named our dolphin mascot, Betty, in her honor," the aquarium wrote back then. "Betty the dolphin represents White’s support and love for animals throughout her 63 year career."
A few years back, the aquarium resurfaced another of the old photos from her past visit in wishing her a happy 95th birthday.
"Happy 95th birthday and best fishes, Betty White! We are grateful for your continued support of marine life throughout the years," they wrote.
Back in 2011 she spoke with The Bert Show when she made her return to the aquarium.
"It's a joy to come back," she said. "I had to come back and see Beethoven. It was worth it, I've had a wonderful day."
She added in that interview that the love of her life was animals.
"I like humans, humans are swell but they disappoint me sometimes, animals never do," she said.
Humans may indeed disappoint quite often, but Betty White rarely did.