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Lucky Sighting Captures Dolphins Using Empty Shells to Hunt Fish, a Rarely Seen Skill
Researchers documented two shelling events in 2025, including a mother and calf, suggesting the rare foraging skill may be passed between generations.
- Recently, Australian researchers observed Indo-Pacific dolphins using empty shells as tools to trap fish at the Great Sandy Marine Park in Queensland. This rare behavior, known as 'shelling,' was captured in two separate events during 2025.
- Shelling was previously observed only in Shark Bay, Western Australia, where less than 2 percent of the Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin population uses this specialized foraging technique. Researchers have studied these distinct behaviors for fifteen years.
- Mother dolphins Stevie Nicks and Maserati, along with their calves Bentley, suggest the skill is passed down through observational learning. These events in 2025 provide evidence that shelling behavior is transferred from mother to offspring.
- Shelling requires specialized skills to handle tools, which may reduce competition for food among Indo-Pacific dolphins. Interestingly, specialized foraging techniques like shelling may be performed largely by female dolphins, as males are often occupied with social endeavors.
- Lead author Alexis Levengood of the University of the Sunshine Coast published these findings in Marine Mammal Science. The study reveals how Tursiops dolphins master complex tools, indicating specialized knowledge within the Indo-Pacific population.
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Biologists have confirmed the use of Indo-Pacific aphaline shells to fish near Queensland.
·Kyiv, Ukraine
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A group of researchers caught on video a surprising behavior of indo-peaceful mullar dolphins in Hervey Bay, Queensland, Australia: they use seashells to catch fish. The technique, known as “shelling”, consists of chasing a fish until it takes refuge inside a shell. The dolphin picks it up, takes it to the surface and lets the fish fall directly into its mouth. The most striking thing was to observe an adult female perform the maneuver and, soon…
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Total News Sources14
Leaning Left1Leaning Right1Center4Last UpdatedBias Distribution67% Center
Bias Distribution
- 67% of the sources are Center
67% Center
L 17%
C 67%
R 16%
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