Dolphins surprise scientists with an unusual hunting method: the first time it has been captured on video

The unusual behavior of Pacific bottlenose dolphins has been recorded near Hervey Bay on the east coast of Australia. The results of the study were published in the scientific journal Marine Mammal Science. The study’s lead author, biologist and marine mammal specialist from the University of the Sunshine Coast, Alexis Livengood, said she was on a research ship with students when she noticed a female bottlenose dolphin.  _Photo: University of the Sunshine Coast._ The researcher immediately recognized the type of behavior the team was witnessing. Dolphins use a technique known as bombardment: they collect fish in the empty shell of a large sea snail, after which the dolphin brings them to the surface and extracts the prey that ended up inside. In footage taken in 2025, a dolphin can be seen surfacing with a shell, manipulating it, and then trying to catch the fish that escaped from it. Livengood admitted that what she saw aroused such strong emotions in her that she began shouting excitedly to nearby students. I was particularly struck by the fact that this behavior was recorded specifically off the east coast of Australia. This technique was not completely known to scientists. As early as 2013, dolphins were observed using shells while hunting at Shark Bay on the west coast of Australia. However, researchers have now been able to obtain video evidence of such behavior in another group living thousands of kilometers away. A more important observation was made when scientists saw an adult female with a calf. The mother appeared with a shell from which a fish had slipped. The adult dolphin left the shell and chased the prey. A few minutes later, the calf picked up the same shell and began grasping it just as its mother had done before. Researchers do not yet claim that the baby dolphin has learned to successfully catch fish in this way on its own. However, her actions may represent the first possible evidence that this hunting technique is passed from mother to offspring. This type of learning is called maternal social transfer: the calf acquires a certain skill by observing its mother’s behavior and imitating her actions. This raises a new question for scientists: how does this unusual technique spread among dolphins and why is similar behavior observed in groups thousands of kilometers apart. One hypothesis is that dolphins found on the west and east coasts of Australia independently evolved the same method of hunting. There is another explanation. Other groups of dolphins that use shells may also exist among the two known groups, but scientists simply have not recorded such behavior yet. According to Livengood, the existence of populations in northern Australia that possess the same technology cannot be ruled out. Additional observations will help determine its prevalence. For researchers, these discoveries are important not only as additional evidence of the high intelligence of dolphins. The use of objects to solve specific tasks is one of the most interesting manifestations of complex animal behavior. The ability to transfer acquired skills to future generations is of particular importance. If further research confirms that calves do indeed learn to use shells from their mothers, it would provide further evidence that there are behavioral traditions in dolphins that can be compared to elements of culture. Studying such abilities may help scientists better understand human evolution. By observing how other animals master tools and pass this knowledge on to their offspring, researchers gain the opportunity to trace the conditions under which complex forms of learning and tool use arise during evolution. The study’s authors believe the new footage once again shows the ingenuity of dolphins and their ability to adapt to their environment. Scientists now need to know how widespread unusual projectile hunting is and whether mothers intentionally transmit this skill to their calves.