Queensland Dolphins Demonstrate Shell-Foraging, Possibly Teaching Calves

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.