Dolphins use seashells to help catch fish, scientists say

Some dolphins on the east coast of Australia have been spotted using seashells to help them hunt fish.

Scientists watched the dolphins chase fish into large empty shells, before lifting them out of the water and tipping the fish into their mouths.

What's more, one young dolphin was seen copying its mum and picking up a shell in the same way.

Researchers say this could be the first evidence that dolphins learn this clever technique by watching their mothers.

The new research was published in the journal of Marine Mammal Science, by a team of scientists from the University of the Sunshine Coast, in Australia.

While studying dolphins in the Great Sandy Marine Park on Australia's east coast, scientists spotted two adult females using seashells as tools to help them catch fish in the wild.

Scientists said this was important because the technique - known as shelling - had previously only been reported in Western Australia, around 3,700 miles away.

However, after speaking to local tour guides, the team found older photographs showing dolphins in the same area using shells as far back as 2019.

This suggests the behaviour has been happening there for longer than scientists realised.

But, there was also another exciting discovery.

When one of the female dolphins was spotted using a shell, her calf picked up the shell just minutes after its mum dropped it.

The young dolphin was then seen holding the shell in the same way as its mother, with what appeared to be a fish hanging from it.

Scientists say this could be the first evidence that dolphins learn this type of tool use by watching their mums.

The team explained that they don't yet know why some dolphins have developed this technique, but added there's still lots to discover about how and why dolphins use tools.