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2 clusters · 11 sources · 3 days · First seen 24 days ago · Last updated 22 days ago

Dolphin tool-use behavior in Queensland

Overview

Researchers have documented Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins in Queensland, Australia, employing a complex hunting technique known as ‘shelling’. Observations conducted between July and October 2025 near the Great Sandy Marine Park and Hervey Bay show dolphins using large, empty gastropod shells, specifically Melo amphora (bailer shells), to trap fish. The dolphins reportedly chase prey into the shells and then lift or shake them at the water’s surface to drain the water and access the fish.

This behavior represents the first scientific report of ‘shelling’ on Australia’s east coast, expanding the known geographic range of this tool-use behavior beyond Shark Bay on the west coast. The documented instances also provide evidence of potential maternal social transmission; researchers observed a calf mimicking the actions of its mother, suggesting that these hunting techniques may be passed from parent to offspring.

Entities

University of the Sunshine Coast · Great Sandy Marine Park · Hervey Bay · Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin · Queensland

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

[● 3 SOURCES] Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus) were observed using large gastropod shells to trap fish. triplenlace.com · www.epochtimes.fr · www.generation-nt.com
[● 3 SOURCES] The shelling behavior was observed in Hervey Bay, Queensland, between July and October 2025. triplenlace.com · www.epochtimes.fr · www.generation-nt.com
[○ 1 SOURCE] A calf was observed imitating its mother's shell-fishing technique shortly after watching her. triplenlace.com
[○ 1 SOURCE] The dolphins used Melo amphora shells, also known as bailer shells, for this hunting method. www.epochtimes.fr
[○ 1 SOURCE] This is the first scientific report of shelling behavior on the east coast of Australia. www.epochtimes.fr

Timeline

22 days ago

[CULTURE] 3 sources
Dolphins in Australia observed using shells to hunt fish
Dolphins in Queensland, Australia, have been observed using large shells to trap fish, providing evidence of complex tool use and potential social learning between mothers and calves.
24 days ago

[CULTURE] 8 sources
Dolphins in Australia use seashells to hunt fish
Dolphins in Queensland, Australia, have been filmed using seashells to trap fish, providing new evidence of tool use and potential maternal learning in bottlenose dolphins.

Sources

epochtimes.fr · generation-nt.com · gizmodo.com · nakedcapitalism.com · news.mongabay.com · solutions-entreprise.developpez.com · time.news · triplenlace.com · unionesarda.it · videnskab.dk · worldstockmarket.net