Dolphins in Australia filmed using seashells to trap prey

Researchers from the University of the Sunshine Coast have captured the first published footage of dolphins using seashells to trap prey on Australia’s east coast. The behavior, known as ‘shelling,’ involves dolphins herding fish into large snail shells on the seabed and then carrying the shells to the surface to shake the prey out.

While this technique had been previously reported in Western Australia, the October 2025 observation in Hervey Bay, within the Great Sandy Marine Park, provides the first visual confirmation for the east coast. Marine mammal biologist Alexis Levengood led the team that documented a female Pacific bottlenose dolphin performing the maneuver.

The footage also provides potential evidence of maternal social transmission. Researchers observed a mother dolphin using the shell and, minutes later, a calf mimicking the same shell-raising motion. This suggests the complex skill may be passed down through generations via maternal teaching rather than through peer interaction.