Dolphins Filmed Using Sea Shells as Tools in Rare Sighting off Australia
Sci.News · 2026-08-12
Dolphins have been filmed using sea shells as tools for hunting, a rare behavior that provides potential evidence of maternal social transmission in bottlenose dolphins. This specialized hunting technique involves dolphins herding fish into large empty shells, bringing them to the surface, and shaking the shell to drain the fish into their mouths. Researchers recorded two such "shelling events" in 2025 off Australia.
On July 6, 2025, an adult female named Stevie Nicks was observed maneuvering a bailer shell. A more significant sighting occurred on October 1, 2025, when a mother dolphin, Maserati, surfaced with a bailer shell containing a fish; after the fish escaped, she dropped the shell. Minutes later, her calf, Bentley, was seen picking up the same shell and mimicking the behavior. This sequence is presented as the first potential evidence of vertical social transmission, suggesting the skill is passed directly from mother to calf rather than learned from peers. This discovery challenges existing beliefs about dolphin learning and highlights their cognitive abilities.
*The full article also explores the broader implications of these findings for understanding cognition, culture, and evolution in cetaceans.*