Safety of apparently fearless Mimmo at risk as the acrobatic bottlenose attracts admirers and selfie tours
Activists in Venice are campaigning to save a dolphin spotted in the lagoon over fears growing tourist interest could put its life at risk.
Known as Mimmo, the bottlenose dolphin made its latest appearance in St Mark’s basin, the body of water in front of the square of the same name, on Wednesday.
The dolphin has been entertaining tourists and residents with its acrobatic leaps, but animal and environmental activists fear it could be killed by the propellers of boats that crisscross the busy lagoon.
Mimmo was first seen by Manuel Tiffi, a water-taxi driver, on 23 June. He told Corriere della Sera in October that the dolphin often swam “right in front of the bow”. Tiffi said taxi drivers reported sightings in order to warn people to be careful. “But the animal seems to have no fear,” he added.
