A bottlenose dolphin off Australia’s Great Barrier Reef has developed an unusual way to get an easy meal. Instead of catching its own prey, the dolphin chases fish until they spit up (regurgitate) their food, then quickly eats what they leave behind. Researchers from the University of the Sunshine Coast documented the behavior in a dolphin nicknamed Bubbles. They say it is the first detailed account of kleptoparasitism in a cetacean, a group that includes dolphins, whales and porpoises.
The discovery adds to growing evidence of unusual feeding strategies among dolphins. Scientists recently captured the first evidence of dolphins using shells to catch fish along Australia’s east coast. Kleptoparasitism happens when an animal steals food another animal caught or collected. The strategy occurs across the animal kingdom but is often opportunistic. Researchers say it has rarely been documented in marine mammals.
Bubbles repeatedly targets trevally
Researchers observed and filmed Bubbles using the feeding tactic 11 times between 2021 and 2025. The encounters took place on shallow reefs around Lady Elliot Island in the southern Great Barrier Reef. Each time, Bubbles targeted schools of Bigeye Trevally. He selected an individual fish and chased it until the stressed animal regurgitated its food. Bubbles then ate the expelled remains while the fish escaped.
The repeated observations suggest the behavior is more than a one-off trick. Dr. Asia Haines, a co-author of the research, said Bubbles may have learned to identify fish with fuller stomachs. Targeting those fish could provide him with larger and more rewarding meals. Researchers also suspect Bubbles may intensify the fish’s stress response with repeated clicking and low-pitched vocalizations. However, that possibility remains a hypothesis.
Strategy could save energy
Romney Edwards-Francis, a University of the Sunshine Coast PhD student and study co-author, said the tactic may allow Bubbles to save energy by letting other animals catch food first.
A dolphin has found an unusual shortcut to dinner.
Researchers watched Bubbles chase fish until they regurgitated their food, then swoop in and steal the meal.
Scientists say it is the first detailed evidence of kleptoparasitism in a cetacean. pic.twitter.com/Z0Ogm3ihuY
— Tom Marvolo Riddle (@tom_riddle2025) September 16, 2026
Common bottlenose dolphins often forage in groups. Bubbles, however, was always seen feeding alone during the observations. Stealing food from trevally could require less energy than chasing fast-moving prey by himself.
Could other dolphins be doing the same?
Researchers do not yet know whether Bubbles is an unusual case or whether similar behavior occurs more widely among dolphins. Other species can also be difficult to study. Researchers tracking Risso’s dolphins in Greece have faced similar challenges because the animals can travel widely through deep waters.
Edwards-Francis said rare feeding strategies may therefore be underreported. Drones combined with underwater surveys could help researchers observe dolphins for longer periods and document more of their behavior.
The findings also highlight bottlenose dolphins’ adaptability. Despite their popular image as friendly and playful animals, Haines noted that dolphins are predators that actively hunt for food. Dolphins have held a particularly positive place in human culture for centuries, including in ancient Greek mythology, where they were regarded as sacred animals.
The research forms part of the UniSC-led Leaf to Reef project, which conducts long-term ecological monitoring around Lady Elliot Island.
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