ROME, Aug 14 (Bernama-dpa) -- A dolphin has been spotted in the waters of the northern Italian lagoon city of Venice, near the famous Rialto Bridge, on Friday, German Press Agency (dpa) reported.
A video posted on social media by Mayor Simone Venturini shows a fin repeatedly emerging from the canal's surface before dipping under again. The footage was taken on Thursday and there have been no further sightings since.
"A dolphin at the Rialto Bridge," Venturini wrote on Instagram, adding that the aquatic mammal had also been sighted in the central Grand Canal, the city's 3.8-kilometre-long main waterway.
It is still unclear whether it is the same dolphin that has been in the waters off Venice for some time. While Venturini and most Venetians call that dolphin Nane, researchers and the media refer to it as Mimmo.
The mayor called for the utmost caution among boaters, as the posted footage showed the dolphin coursing among gondolas, water taxis, and motorboats near the Rialto Bridge, one of the busiest sections of the Grand Canal.
"Please let's take extra care to protect its safety!" Venturini urged.
-- BERNAMA-dpa