SPEEDY
Speedy was a male bottlenose dolphin from the Adriatic Sea, where he was captured in 1976 off the coast of the city of Pescara. A few weeks later, Speedy was transferred to the Rimini Dolphinarium, which became his permanent home. Following his arrival, other dolphins arrived in the following years: a young male, Chico , in 1982 (who later died of a heart attack the following year) and two females, Alfa and Beta , in 1986.
Speedy was known to be a very docile dolphin, with an imposing size, and inclined to the company of people: he was the main protagonist of the dolphin therapy sessions which, in the years between 1997 and 2000, were made available in the small dolphinarium, especially to people with disabilities.
Over the course of his long life, Speedy became the father of five dolphins:
- Luna : born on August 17, 1990 from Alfa. For reasons still unknown today, Luna died in 1995.
- Sole : born on May 3, 1993 from Alfa.
- Luna (II) : born on May 12, 1995 from Alfa. She was baptized in memory of her older sister.
- Blue : born on June 26, 1997 from Beta.
- Rocco : born on September 27, 2003 from Alfa. Two years later, in August 2009, he suddenly died.
- Lapo : born on July 28, 2007 from Alfa.
Regarding the final years of Speedy's life, there are two conflicting facts that need to be clarified. Vice the rumor that Speedy's death occurred while he was chasing his shadow trying to hit it. The next collision with a tub porthole would be strong enough to kill him. Instead, in February 2009, Speedy was actually struck by an acute bacterial infection and to ensure that the animal received better care, an extraordinary transfer was made to the Aquarium of Genoa, where unfortunately he died after a couple of days.
Speedy during a dolphin therapy session at the Rimini Dolphinarium. Year 1998.
Speedy at the Rimini Dolphinarium at the end of January 2008, just before being transferred to the Genoa Aquarium.
