Dolphin Forces Fish to Regurgitate Meals in Novel Feeding Strategy
A male bottlenose dolphin nicknamed Bubbles was observed off Australia's Great Barrier Reef using a previously unknown hunting tactic: chasing fish until they vomit, then consuming the expelled food. Researchers documented 20 such events between 2021 and 2025, with Bubbles succeeding 11 times. The dolphin may use echolocation to target fish with full stomachs and vocalizations to increase stress, potentially triggering regurgitation.
The observations took place at Lady Elliot Island, where researchers and divers tracked Bubbles across multiple encounters spanning four years. His hunting sessions were intensive, sometimes involving up to ten chases within a half-hour period, and his success rate of 11 out of 20 attempts indicates a refined, repeatable technique rather than a lucky accident.
The findings appeared in the journal Ecology and Evolution, with co-author Asia Armstrong suggesting that echolocation may help the dolphin detect subtle differences in fish anatomy, potentially identifying those carrying the most food. Researchers also hypothesize that Bubbles' vocalizations during chases might heighten stress in his targets, though confirming these mechanisms will require additional observation.
This behavior could broaden scientific understanding of dolphin cognition and social learning, suggesting that complex foraging strategies may be more widespread among cetaceans than previously assumed. Marine researchers may need to account for such tactics when studying predator-prey dynamics in reef ecosystems. Conservation planners could also consider how behavioral flexibility like this influences dolphin adaptability to changing ocean conditions, though the rarity of the observation means its broader ecological significance remains uncertain.