Venice has fallen for an unexpected visitor: A wild dolphin whose acrobatic leaps have charmed tourists and residents for months. But the dolphin, nicknamed Mimmo, is getting dangerously comfortable in one of the city’s busiest waterways.
Experts say Mimmo’s repeated return to St. Mark’s Basin — despite efforts to guide him back to open water — puts him at serious risk. The dolphin has already suffered minor wounds believed to be caused by a boat propeller, according to veterinarians from the University of Padua’s emergency response team CERT.
On Nov. 16, several agencies attempted to move him away from the traffic-heavy basin using low-intensity acoustic signals. Mimmo briefly swam toward quieter waters but returned within an hour, as specialists had feared.
“It’s very worrying because it’s a hot spot with lots of boat traffic,” said Guido Pietroluongo, a CERT veterinarian. The basin, connecting St. Mark’s Square with the Giudecca and Grand Canals, is crowded with ferries, vaporetti, taxis and private boats throughout the day.
Mimmo was first recorded in the lagoon on July 23, likely after following a school of fish through the barrier islands. He was named after the sailing instructor who initially spotted him near Chioggia. Researchers say he fits the profile of a “social loner” — usually a young male dolphin that separates from its pod and becomes accustomed to human presence. Around 100 such cases have been documented worldwide.
Although dolphin sightings in Venice are uncommon, they are not unprecedented; two striped dolphins were guided back to the open sea in 2021 and did not return.
Mimmo, meanwhile, appears healthy and well-fed, feasting on mullet, sea bass and sea bream. His energetic aerial flips — now frequently captured by Venetians on their phones — have become a local attraction. A team from the University of Padua checks on him weekly and receives constant citizen reports.
Authorities warn the public not to approach, feed or interact with the dolphin, noting that disturbing a protected marine species is a criminal offense under Italian and EU law. Yet Mimmo’s growing fame is creating new risks.
“The dolphin has become an attraction. Boats stopping to watch him can stress the animal,” Pietroluongo said.
For now, officials hope the drop in temperatures will draw Mimmo and his prey out of the lagoon and back into open waters.
