'Mimmo' the dolphin delights Venice tourists, worries experts

A wild dolphin, nicknamed "Mimmo" by the local press, has become a regular visitor in the waters off Venice's St. Mark's Square, captivating tourists but raising concerns about its safety amid heavy marine traffic.

Dolphins are rare visitors to the UNESCO World Heritage city's lagoon, though two were spotted in March 2021 during COVID-19 restrictions that had reduced boat activity.

Mimmo, believed to have entered the lagoon in late June, has been dodging the water buses, taxis, and gondolas in the busy St. Mark's Basin area since last month, according to marine biologist Luca Mizzan, head of Venice's Natural History Museum.

Unusually, the dolphin remains near St. Mark's even when it has fed and appears unfazed by the noise of the boats and crowds, Mizzan told RAI public television.

Experts are concerned that Mimmo could get injured by a boat propeller and are monitoring its movements, but are uncertain how to encourage the dolphin to leave the area, he said.

The approach of winter, which normally drives away fish, may make the lagoon less attractive for Mimmo and encourage it to return to the open sea, Mizzan said, adding there was no way to force it away.

"This animal seems really sure of what it wants to do... It is perfectly capable of going out to sea, but even if we were to escort it, it could come back within a couple of hours."