“I started screaming because I know what shelling looks like” –dolphin photographed performing extremely rare behavior
Researchers have managed to photograph and video dolphins performing ‘shelling’ off the east coast of Australia
A rare behavior known as "shelling" was captured on camera by researchers from the University of the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, Australia. This behavior, which involves dolphins raising objects out of the water to trap fish, had only been observed once before and never on the east coast of Australia. Dr. Alexis Levengood, the lead researcher, was so shocked by the sight that he screamed, recognizing the behavior immediately.
The dolphins in question were an adult female and her calf, leading to speculation that the juvenile had learned the technique from its mother. The researchers' footage provides the first evidence of maternal social transmission, challenging the belief that dolphins learn such behaviors from their peers.
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