Cameras stationed in the water were able to capture rare footage of odd dolphin behavior that is suspected by scientists to be a world-first. This took place on the Western Australian coast.
Long-Standing Bait Battle
For several decades, local crabbers and bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) across the Bunbury regions have been engaging in a bait battle. When a crab pot is placed inside the Koombana Bay, the dolphins end up swooping in order to catch the dead fish. This usually takes place before pincered arthropods come along.
Rodney Peterson, a wildlife conservationist, heard of the issue and feared the safety of the dolphins, as these creatures faced an entanglement risk with such behavior. Peterson then reached out to the Dolphin Discovery Center regarding possibly filming the action of these underwater thieves.
In the span of two years, a team of researchers, conservationists, and filmmakers worked together to shed light on the crab bait thieves.
Over the seafloor and beneath the waves, the dolphins were captured via camera. They were found to use their jaws, snouts, and teeth for pulling out the baits from the traps.
Dolphins Caught Stealing Crab Bait
Despite how the bait was linked to the pot's bottom or was tucked inside boxes, it was not long before the dolphins began opening the boxes and flipping the traps.
Dr. Delphine Chabanne, who studies animal behavior and ecology at Murdoch University, and Dr. Simon Allen, who is a dolphin behavior specialist, both note that they have never been able to observe the behavior at such a level of intricacy.
Across the globe, dolphins are known to be bait and fish thieves. They steal bait from recreational anglers as well as trawlers. In Florida, specifically, these creatures have been observed to be stealing crabber bait. They do so by tipping pots.
However, the interactions shared by Koombana Bay crabbers and dolphins are quite intricate.
Alex Grossman, who serves as a volunteer filmmaker for the project, explains that since there are only some dolphins that engage in the behavior, it is possible that this is something that these creatures do out of convenience or fun, as opposed to being due to hunger.
It also appears that a mother and her calf were leading the bait-thieving gang.
Peterson and other specialists are quite concerned that these dolphins could be too clever. If such behavior goes on and ends up spreading, the local population may face some downsides. This is especially true as the crab bait that they steal is not nutritious, while the dolphins also face a high risk of getting hurt or entangled.
At present, specialists in Western Australia were able to figure out a way to maintain dolphin safety. The Dolphin Discovery Center explains that the bait is contained inside a strong mesh linked via a metal hook to the pot. The dolphins then examine the pot via eyesight and echolocation and learn that it is not possible to open it. With this, they end up swimming away. This could lead to dolphins that are healthier, crabbers that are happy, and proof that it is possible for them to coexist.
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