Mimmo the bottlenose dolphin has been delighting tourists and Venetians for months with acrobatic aquatic flips.

But experts are eager to move Mimmo into open water, especially after verifying wounds indicating that the dolphin had been likely hit and injured by a boat propeller.

Multiple agencies used low-intensity acoustic devices to nudge Mimmo away from the heavily trafficked St. Mark’s Basin on Saturday – and it worked briefly.

But the dolphin came back, as experts expected he might.

St. Mark’s Basin, the shallow expanse of water in front of St. Mark’s Square connecting to both the Giudecca and Grand Canals, is heavily trafficked by ferries, vaporetti, water taxis, and private boats.

During the failed operation, experts confirmed Mimmo had suffered superficial lesions, likely from a boat propeller.

Mimmo’s wounds are expected to fully heal, but experts are worried about his continued safety in such proximity to human activity.

Mimmo’s arrival in the Venetian lagoon was registered on July 23, and experts say he likely followed a school of fish into the coastal lagoon separated from the open sea by barrier islands.

Mimmo follows the pattern of a so-called social loner, typically a young male dolphin that breaks away from the pod for food or for social reasons, then coming into contact with the human world.

While dolphins are not frequently sighted in the Venetian lagoon, it is also not unheard of.

The most recent incident involved a pair of striped dolphins spotted in February 2021, and were guided back to the open sea with acoustic devices. They never returned.

Mimmo has been closely monitored during his lagoon sojourn, and was reported in good health and nutrition as he feasted on a diet befitting any Venetian tourist: mullet, sea bass and sea bream.

Authorities are warning citizens and boaters not to feed or interact with the dolphin, which is a criminal offense.

Dolphins are protected under Italian, EU and international law.