Queensland Dolphins Demonstrate Shell-Foraging, Possibly Teaching Calves
TL;DR
Dolphins off the coast of Queensland, Australia, have been filmed using empty seashells to stun and extract fish—a rare foraging method called shelling. New 2025 footage, along with a Marine Mammal Science study, shows an adult female and her calf shelling together, hinting that mothers may teach this technique to offspring and that the behavior could spread within populations. Previously, shelling was only documented in Shark Bay, Western Australia; researchers plan further study to understand learning pathways across popuations.
- Dolphins Filmed Hunting With Shells – And Possibly Passing The Skill to Their Offspring ScienceAlert
- Dolphins that hunt with sponges may show traces of culture in their gene activity, study finds Yahoo
- Dolphins caught on camera using seashells to catch fish for first time The Independent
- Dolphins That Hunt with Sponges — and the Mothers Who Teach Them A-Z Animals
- Dolphins learn how to use tools to hunt for fish from their mothers The Conversation
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