Dolphins filmed using new hunting technique: researchers capture unique behavior
A team from the University of the Sunshine Coast has documented Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins in Hervey Bay, Queensland, using empty shells as hunting tools. This behavior, known as "shelling," was previously only observed in dolphins in Shark Bay, thousands of kilometers away from this new discovery.
Dolphins have proven more than once that they are among the most intelligent creatures in the ocean, but new footage from eastern Australia has managed to surprise even researchers who are well-acquainted with their abilities.
A team from the University of the Sunshine Coast documented Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins in the Hervey Bay area of Queensland using large, empty shells as a hunting tool: they insert fish into them, bring the shell to the water's surface, and empty the prey directly into their mouths.
This behavior, known as "shelling," is already known to scientists from a dolphin population in Shark Bay in Western Australia. However, this is the first time that footage of it has been published on the country's east coast — thousands of kilometers away.
"I started screaming"
Dr. Alexis Levengood said the team was on a research boat off Hervey Bay when one of the dolphins suddenly brought something large above the water's surface.
"As soon as I saw the shell in the air, I knew immediately what was happening," she said. "I started screaming at the students who were with me on the boat out of pure excitement, because I just couldn't believe we were actually seeing this here on the east coast."
The main observations were conducted in July and October 2025. On July 6, an adult dolphin nicknamed "Stevie Nicks" was observed repeatedly bringing up a large, empty shell. On October 1, another dolphin, nicknamed "Maserati," was documented successfully extracting a fish from a shell.
The calf follows the mother
Bentley, Maserati's calf, mimicked his mother's actions: he picked up the same shell, brought it to the surface, and shook it to release the fish. According to the researchers, this may be the first evidence that dolphins learn this hunting method directly from their mothers, rather than just through social learning within the group.
"Our footage provides the first possible evidence of social transmission from the mother — a process where offspring learn a behavior by observing their mother," explained Levengood. She emphasized that this is still preliminary evidence, not definitive proof of intentional "teaching."
Innovation or coincidence?
The shelling technique requires skill: the dolphin locates a shell, pushes a fish into it, and tilts it to drain the water and slide the fish into its mouth.
Given the thousands of kilometers between Shark Bay and Hervey Bay, scientists suggest two possibilities: either the technique was invented independently twice, or it is more widespread than previously thought. Researchers noted that tourist footage from 2013 and 2019 suggests this behavior has been present in the region for some time.
"These findings highlight just how smart, creative, and innovative dolphins are," Levengood concluded.
