We just published an article on a solitary common bottlenose dolphin that has established its residence in a tourist hotspot: Saint Mark's Basin in Venice, Italy.
Bearzi G, Mazzariol S, Mizzan L, Notarbartolo di Sciara G, Bonato M, Ceolotto L, Pietroluongo G. 2026. Case Report: The 'dolphin of Venice': management of a solitary bottlenose dolphin in the Venetian Lagoon. Frontiers in Ethology 5:1770678. https://doi.org/10.3389/fetho.2026.1770678 The article is available open-access at the link below: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/ethology/articles/10.3389/fetho.2026.1770678/full ABSTRACT - A solitary common bottlenose dolphin *Tursiops truncatus* entered the Venetian Lagoon and was monitored between June-December 2025. After roaming the lagoon for three months, it settled in Venice, with a preference for waters adjacent to San Marco Square – one of the world’s busiest tourist destinations – where it was consistently observed feeding on mullet (Mugilidae). The Venetian Lagoon was historically part of the range of Adriatic dolphins, but such records have been rare since the 1970s. The 'dolphin of Venice' soon became a celebrity, resulting in people attempting to feed, touch and interact with the animal, as well as guided tours and erratic approaches by boats. Such inappropriate behaviour by humans increased disturbance, and the risk of propeller/boat strikes and habituation to human proximity. Following evidence of disturbance and lesions, in November 2025 an attempt was made to drive the dolphin away from the high-risk waters of the San Marco Basin using boats and acoustic deterrents. However, the dolphin immediately returned. Here, we report on the monitoring efforts and actions undertaken, review the relevant regulations, and discuss the options of 1) acoustic deterrence, 2) capture/removal, and 3) tolerance combined with best management practice. We argue that the occurrence of such a charismatic animal could serve as a model for human-wildlife coexistence in urban environments, demanding compliance with existing laws, area-specific measures, appropriate implementation and patrolling, resolute deterrence of inappropriate human behaviour, continued monitoring, and efforts to promote the type of social change that leads to widespread appreciation of, and respect for, wildlife. Interested readers may also want to check the press release by Frontiers: https://www.frontiersin.org/news/2026/02/26/celebrity-dolphin-of-venice-special-protection-humans and the one by OceanCare: https://www.oceancare.org/en/stories_and_news/solitary-dolphin-venice/ Cheers, Giovanni - - - - - - - Giovanni Bearzi http://www.dolphinbiology.org/people/giovanni_bearzi.htm _______________________________________________ MARMAM mailing list [email protected] https://lists.uvic.ca/mailman/listinfo/marmam
