A wild bottlenose dolphin named Bubbles has been documented using a novel foraging strategy off Lady Elliot Island in the southern Great Barrier Reef, repeatedly chasing individual bigeye trevally until the fish vomit their recent meals, according to marine researchers at the University of the Sunshine Coast. Published in the journal Ecology and Evolution, the study details twenty observations of this behavior between June 2021 and October 2025, marking what scientists consider the first formal documentation of kleptoparasitism in a cetacean.
How Bubbles Hunts Bigeye Trevally
Bubbles initiates his hunt by scanning a school of bigeye trevally using echolocation while moving his head from side to side, according to researchers. Once he identifies a suitable target fish, the dolphin separates that individual from the school and mirrors its movements closely. Ph.D. candidate and co-author Romney Edwards-Francis notes that the dolphin chases the fish at close range until the target experiences a stress response and vomits its food. Bubbles then consumes the regurgitated meal while the trevally swims away. Researchers recorded Bubbles repeating this exact sequence up to ten times in a single half-hour period, and he was never observed eating the actual fish.
Kleptoparasitism in Marine Predators
This feeding behavior is classified as kleptoparasitism, which involves stealing food that another animal has caught or collected. Marine biologist Jacinta Shackleton compares the tactic to the behavior of frigate birds, which chase white-capped noddies until the seabirds regurgitate their catches. While common bottlenose dolphins typically forage in groups, field notes from the University of the Sunshine Coast team show that Bubbles has consistently performed this strategy while foraging alone.
Did you know? Researchers identified Bubbles through distinct physical markers, including notches in his dorsal fin and a V-shaped scar on his right side, confirming that resort staff had been spotting the same individual since at least 2017.
Future Research and Broader Implications
Co-author Asia Haines suggests that Bubbles may have learned over several years of observation to target fish with the fullest bellies, providing the most rewarding meals. Because this study is based on a limited dataset with a sample size of one, researchers emphasize that more evidence is needed from other dolphins in the region to determine if the behavior is widespread. Edwards-Francis points out that cryptic behaviors like this are difficult to observe underwater, and future deployments of animal-borne video camera tags and unmanned aerial drones will help scientists determine whether other marine predators share this strategy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Bubbles the dolphin eat during these hunts?
Instead of eating the fish he pursues, Bubbles eats the regurgitated food that the bigeye trevally spews out as a stress response during the high-speed chase, according to the University of the Sunshine Coast research team.
Is this behavior common among dolphins?
Researchers state that this is the first documented instance of kleptoparasitism in a dolphin, but they believe the behavior may be underreported because wild marine predators are difficult to monitor continuously beneath the surface.
Where does this dolphin live?
Bubbles is a wild bottlenose dolphin that frequently visits Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort within Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, where he was observed by researchers between June 2021 and October 2025.
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