Dolphin charms visitors to tourist hotspot – but there are fears for his safety
Mimmo the bottlenose dolphin has recently been injured by a boat
Venice has found itself captivated by an unexpected, acrobatic visitor: a wild dolphin.
The feeling appears mutual, as the creature, nicknamed Mimmo, has shown no inclination to depart.
However, his close proximity to humans is now posing a significant threat to its safety.
For months, Mimmo has been a source of delight for both tourists and locals with his playful flips and displays.
However, experts are increasingly anxious to guide him back to open water, particularly after verifying injuries consistent with a boat propeller strike.
A recent attempt on Saturday saw multiple agencies deploy low-intensity acoustic devices in an effort to coax Mimmo away from the heavily trafficked St. Mark’s Basin.
While initially successful, the dolphin returned to the area within an hour, precisely as experts had feared.
“It’s very worrying because it’s a hot spot with lots of boat traffic,” Guido Pietroluongo, a veterinarian with the University of Padua’s emergency response team for stranded marine mammals (CERT), said.
St. Mark’s Basin, the shallow expanse of water in front of St. Mark’s Square connecting to both the Giudecca and Grand Canals, is heavily trafficked by ferries, vaporetti buses, water taxis, and private boats.
During the failed operation, experts confirmed Mimmo had suffered superficial lesions, likely from a boat propeller, Mr Pietroluongo said.
It was the first time they had noted injuries to the dolphin, and his wounds are expected to fully heal. But experts are worried about his continued safety in such proximity to human activity.
They do not plan any immediate action, and are hoping that colder seasonal temperatures will lure him, and his fish prey, out of the lagoon toward warmer waters, Mr Pietroluongo said.
Mimmo’s arrival in the Venetian lagoon was registered on 23 July, and experts say the coastal creature likely followed a school of fish into the brackish waters separated from the open sea by barrier islands.
He was nicknamed for the sailing instructor who first spotted him off the Venetian lagoon fishing town of Chioggia.
Mimmo follows the pattern of a so-called social loner, typically a young male dolphin that breaks away from the pod for food or for social reasons and then comes into contact with the human world, said Sandro Mazzariol, a CERT veterinarian.
“Around 100 cases have been documented around the world in which these animals are absolutely at ease and remain healthy despite not interacting with their peers,’’ Mr Mazzariol said in a Facebook video post.
Dolphin sightings in Venice are rare but not unheard of, Mr Mazzariol said.
The most recent incident involved a pair of striped dolphins spotted in February 2021 that were quickly guided back to the open sea with acoustic devices. They never returned.
Mimmo has been closely monitored during his lagoon sojourn, and has been reported in good health and nutrition as he feasts on a diet befitting any Venetian tourist: mullet, sea bass and sea bream. His behavior also has been deemed normal, including his playful aerial flips.
The University of Padua team has been going out weekly to check on the animal, and they get regular updates from citizens who share sightings, including photos and videos.
Authorities are warning citizens and boaters not to feed or interact with the dolphin, which is a criminal offense. Dolphins are protected under Italian, EU and international law. But the fact that Mimmo's fame is spreading is part of the problem.
“The dolphin has become an attraction. Boats stopping to watch him can stress the animal,’’ Mr Pietroluongo said.