Marine researchers have documented bottlenose dolphins along Australia's east coast using large shells as tools to capture fish, a behavior previously unrecorded in this population. The discovery, captured on video in July and October 2025, indicates a sophisticated and learned hunting strategy, dubbed "shelling."
Scientists from the University of the Sunshine Coast observed dolphins manipulating shells with their mouths to scoop up fish, then carefully maneuvering the shells to allow the fish to be eaten. This technique was observed by lead researcher Dr. Alexis Levengood, who described the moment of realization as an excited exclamation.
"Our observations in Queensland show that dolphins on opposite sides of Australia have learned to use tools in the exact same way, independent of one another," Levengood stated. The only other known instance of dolphins using shells in such a manner was recorded nearly 20 years ago with a group in Shark Bay, Western Australia, over 3,700 miles away. While anecdotal reports of tool use existed from the 1990s, this is the first time such behavior has been visually documented outside the Shark Bay population.
The study also provided compelling evidence of social learning within dolphin families. Video footage showed a young dolphin, nicknamed Bentley, mimicking its mother, Maserati, by picking up and using a shell in the same manner. This observation suggests that offspring can learn complex behaviors directly from their parents, challenging the previous understanding that such skills are primarily learned from peers.
"Our footage provides the first potential evidence of maternal social transmission—a process by which offspring learn behavior by observing the actions of its mother. It challenges the belief that dolphins learn this tool use from their peers," the study authors explained. While bottlenose dolphins are common along the coasts of the United States, they have not been observed employing this specific shelling technique.
The behavior, which involves finding specific types of empty shells and skillfully manipulating them, requires a degree of knowledge and practice. Researchers noted that while not all dolphins in the observed group exhibit this behavior, its learnable nature suggests it could spread throughout the population if the advantages become apparent.
The findings, published in the journal Marine Mammal Science, highlight the ongoing evolution of cetacean intelligence and social learning mechanisms.