Let’s save Mimmo, the dolphin who swims in the San Marco Basin in Venice: he must return to the open sea

For weeks a dolphin, affectionately renamed Mimmo, has been swimming in the waters of the San Marco Basin. Its passage has won over citizens and tourists, but behind the curiosity lies a serious question: the animal is a bottlenose dolphin, a protected species that normally lives in the open sea. His presence in the lagoon is not a sign of well-being and experts fear he may be disoriented or in difficulty.

The risk of “wild” tourism

Despite the appeals for prudence, improvised tours have already been created to spot Mimmo and take selfies. Some onlookers even tried to lure him with balls or food, extremely dangerous behavior for a cetacean. Intense water traffic, combined with engine noise, can in fact injure or stress it, compromising its ability to orient itself and communicate with other specimens.

The intervention of the authorities

The Coast Guard and the CERT – Cetacean’s Stranding Emergency Response Team of Legnaro have been monitoring the dolphin since the first sightings. Experts confirmed that Mimmo eats regularly and shows normal swimming and breathing movements. However, new attempts have already been planned to accompany it towards the open sea, where it will be able to return to its natural habitat and possibly reunite with its pride.

Appeals for his safety

Precisely to avoid consequences for the animal’s health, the “Save the dolphin!” campaign has spread on social media. – born from the appeal of Cristina Romieri – who invites Venetians to behave responsibly. The rules are simple:

Any incorrect behavior can be reported directly to the Coast Guard.

Mimmo’s stay in the lagoon is probably linked to the ease with which he finds food, not to a state of happiness. Dolphins are social animals, used to living in groups, and their loneliness is a warning sign. For this reason the dolphin must be returned to the open sea as soon as possible, otherwise it could become an innocent victim and all of us could find ourselves, instead of smiling at its presence, crying for its disappearance.

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