Taranto, Italy – After more than 4,000 years of myth linking the city to a dolphin that saved its founder, the modern city is giving back to the creatures that have become its symbol. Marine biologist Carmelo Fanizza and the Jonian Dolphin Conservation (JDC) are completing Europe’s first sea‑based refuge for formerly captive dolphins on the waters off San Paolo Island.
From myth to marine sanctuary
The legend of Taras, son of Poseidon, tells of a dolphin that rescued the sailor and carried him to safety, where he founded the ancient settlement that became today’s Taranto. The dolphin appears on local coins, statues, the city coat of arms and even the crest of the city’s soccer team.
Now the city is turning that historic bond into a concrete (or rather, floating) project. The San Paolo Dolphin Refuge will cover seven hectares marked by buoys and equipped with underwater cameras, hydrophones, AI‑driven monitoring and a floating cabin for staff. The refuge will initially host a small family group of dolphins rescued from French aquariums, where a new law banning cetacean shows takes effect in December 2026.
Why a floating refuge?
“Releasing long‑time captive dolphins into the open sea isn’t humane,” Fanizza told CNN. “They need a controlled environment where they can interact with natural sea life, not concrete tanks.” The refuge will provide a semi‑natural habitat with fish, sea floor contact and real‑time environmental monitoring to ensure water quality, air quality and acoustic conditions remain safe.
Because the refuge is not open to the public, visitors will learn about the project at Kètos, the JDC’s Euro‑Mediterranean Center for the Sea and Cetaceans, located in Taranto’s historic Città Vecchia. The center will feature an observation room with large screens, a library, laboratories and a refrigerated storage area for the fish that will feed the dolphins.
Community involvement and scientific research
The JDC, founded in 2009, runs citizen‑science day trips that let participants become “Researchers for the Day,” recording dolphin sightings and helping with data collection. With more than 6,000 active members, the organization funds its research through these tours.
Fanizza’s team has spent five years monitoring the Gulf of Taranto’s water, air and seabed to confirm that nearby industrial activity, including the city’s reduced steelworks, does not threaten the refuge’s environment. Real‑time sensors now feed data to a control room 24/7.
Looking ahead
The refuge will start with a handful of dolphins as a pilot, allowing scientists to refine care protocols before potentially expanding the model to other former captive cetaceans. The project reflects Taranto’s broader effort to shift its image from heavy industry to a coastal destination focused on tourism, culture and environmental stewardship.
As the city prepares to welcome its first rescued dolphins, Fanizza says the ultimate goal is to give these animals a dignified, semi‑natural home while advancing marine‑conservation science for future generations.
Original reporting: KTVZ (Central Oregon) — read the source article.
