Rare footage: The brilliant method dolphins use to hunt fish with shells | Watch

Dolphins off the coast of Queensland, Australia, were recently filmed using a rare hunting technique known as "shelling," which involves the use of shells. In this method, they use empty shells to trap their prey. This is the first time in history that this behavior has been documented on video, and the first time it has been observed on the east coast of Australia.

The bottlenose dolphin, or 'botu' in the local indigenous language, is an intelligent marine mammal known for its ability to use tools. However, few have been lucky enough to see the shell technique in action, let alone document it on camera. The new footage, filmed in Hervey Bay, was presented by researchers from the University of the Sunshine Coast in a study published in the journal "Marine Mammal Science" and reported extensively on the science website "ScienceAlert".

According to the report, during the hunt, the dolphins chase the fish and guide them into large, empty sea snail shells. The dolphin then inserts its snout into the opening of the shell, quickly lifts it above the water's surface, and empties the contents directly into its mouth.

"We were on a routine survey... we were following the dolphins and examining their behavior and health status," said behavioral ecologist Dr. Alexis Levengood. "Suddenly we saw a dolphin lifting a shell out of the water. As soon as I saw the shell in the air, I knew immediately what was happening. I screamed with excitement to the students who were with me on the boat, because I was thrilled that we were witnessing this here on the east coast."

Until now, the shelling technique had been officially documented only in Shark Bay in Western Australia. Researchers estimate that it is possible that the two dolphin populations developed the method independently, but it is more likely that this is a learned behavior transmitted within the mammals' social network.

While previous studies suggested that dolphins learn the trick from their pod mates (horizontal learning), the new footage provides the first evidence that mothers may teach the strategy to their offspring. The videos captured a mother and calf performing the action together. "We saw the mother lift a shell and empty the fish... in the drone footage, you can see the fish escaping and the mother chasing it," noted Levengood. "A few minutes after she dropped the shell, her calf picked it up and did exactly the same thing."

The researchers emphasize that although it is unclear whether the calf managed to swallow a fish, its involvement points to a learning process. They now hope to continue studying the phenomenon to better understand how this fascinating hunting technique is passed down between generations.