Australian Dolphins Use Unique Sponge-Hunting Technique

Some dolphins in Australia do something special. They use a sponge like a nose to hunt fish. This helps them find fish hidden on the bottom of the sea.

The dolphins put a sponge on their nose to protect it. It helps them look for food in the sand. They move the sand to find fish called barred sandperch to eat.

Scientists studied how the sponge affects the dolphins. It changes how they use sound to see. The sponge makes it harder for them to use echolocation to find things.

The sponge makes sounds strange for the dolphins. They still learn to hunt with it anyway. It is like wearing a mask, but they get used to it.

Only some dolphins hunt with sponges because it is hard. Baby dolphins learn it from their mothers. It takes a long time to learn this skill, so not all dolphins do it.