Hervey Bay dolphins display shelling, 1st record outside Shark Bay
Some bottlenose dolphins in Hervey Bay, Queensland, have been spotted using sea snail shells as part of a clever hunting trick to catch fish.
They chase fish into empty shells, lift them out of the water, and tip them so the fish slides right into their mouths.
This is the first time scientists have seen this "shelling" trick outside Shark Bay.
The research was led by Dr. Alexis Levengood from the University of the Sunshine Coast.
Dolphin calf mimics mother
Researchers noticed a mother dolphin using the shelling technique while her calf watched closely and tried it soon after.
Unlike earlier studies where dolphins mostly learned from friends, this could provide evidence of social learning in dolphins occurring between mother and calf, known as vertical social learning.
It's another reminder of how smart and socially connected dolphins really are.