Swimming in the Po River: inferences about biology, adaptation, and conservation of the Adriatic Common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus)

A large number of marine cetaceans, both Mysticeti and Odontoceti, have been recorded in many places around the world, using rivers and even spending some time in shallow, freshwater habitats. One of these cases occurred in 2004 in which a Common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) was sighted in the Po, the longest river in Italy. The dolphin swam along the river up to 15 kilometers (8 miles) from the mouth and spent four days in these waters. This is the first recorded sighting of this species, more generally of a cetacean, in an Italian river. For this reason, it represents an important contribution to the body of knowledge surrounding the biology and adaptation characteristics of this species.