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The post Dolphins Are Learning a Clever Fishing Trick from Their Mothers<\/a> appeared first on A-Z Animals<\/a>.<\/p>\n Dolphins<\/a> are known for being some of the most intelligent and adaptable animals in the world.\u00a0Their intelligence is evident in their hunting methods, as they have the ability to use tools while searching for food. A group of dolphins in Australia have developed a particularly unusual way of hunting fish by using empty seashells to help them catch their prey.\u00a0There’s also evidence that young dolphins are learning the technique from their mothers by copying their behavior. So, how does this unusual method work, and what does it tell us about dolphins?<\/p>\n Although dolphins have previously been observed using tools, there is no other hunting strategy quite like the one seen in dolphins in Australia.\u00a0A recent study<\/a> has observed dolphins using a strategy known as shelling. Shelling consists of the dolphins chasing fish into an empty shell, effectively using the shell as a temporary trap. They then carry it up to the surface with the fish still in it. Once at the surface, they tilt the shell, tipping the fish out of the shell and straight into their mouth. Effectively, they use the empty shell as a container to catch and eat fish that might otherwise escape.<\/p>\n The study focused on Indo-Pacific dolphins in the Great Sandy Marine Park in 2025.\u00a0Shelling had previously been observed in dolphins in Shark Bay in Western Australia.\u00a0The two locations are thousands of miles apart, which suggests that the populations have learned how to use the technique independently.\u00a0Dolphins using the shelling technique were also photographed in Queensland in 2013 and 2019. However, the technique had largely gone unnoticed due to the lack of research into dolphins in the area. The 2025 study is the first time the behavior has been officially studied outside of Shark Bay, and was seen in just a few individuals. This also suggests that it remains a specialized technique rather than widespread behavior.<\/p>\nDolphins Use Seashells to Catch Fish<\/h2>\n
How Calves Learn From Their Mothers<\/h2>\n