‘I was screaming’: Scientists shocked as dolphins filmed using shells to trap prey for the first time

Nypost · Aug 15, 2026 · 536 words · By Ben Cost

Evolutionary Tool Use Animal Intelligence Marine Biology

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What to know about Evolutionary Tool Use

‘I was screaming’: Scientists shocked as dolphins filmed using shells to trap prey for the first time See more of our coverage in your search results.

Claims checked 7

Techniques found 2

Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left0%

Center75%

Right25%

4 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

‘I was screaming’: Scientists shocked as dolphins filmed using shells to trap prey for the first time See more of our coverage in your search results.

Why it matters

Add The New York Post on Google Researchers are shell-shocked at the latest marine discovery.

Common ground

Dolphins have been filmed using shells to ensnare their prey off the coast of Australia, marking the first time this clever tactic has been caught on camera, per a bombshell paper in Marine Mammal Science.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language, Exaggeration / Hyperbole: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

Follow-up questions

What new context would change how readers understand this Evolutionary Tool Use story?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that While the behavior had been observed in 2013 in Shark Bay, Western Australia, this was the first video evidence of the ingenious prey-snatching method?
How does this story connect Evolutionary Tool Use with Animal Intelligence over the next few days?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://nypost.com/2026/08/15/science/dolphins-filmed-using-shells-to-hunt-for-f…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 2 propaganda techniques in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning

Loaded Language 90% confidence

Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.

Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

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Exaggeration / Hyperbole 80% confidence

Overstating facts or claims to create a stronger emotional response.

Why it matters: Recognizing exaggeration / hyperbole helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 7 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 5

verified Verified 1

info Single Source 1

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Claim 1: “While the behavior had been observed in 2013 in Shark Bay, Western Australia, this was the first video evidence of the ingenious prey-snatching method.”

CORROBORATED

Sources confirm that while the behavior was previously observed in Shark Bay (Western Australia) in 2013, the current study provides the first video evidence.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Denham is the administrative town for the Shire of Shark Bay, Western Australia. Located on the western coast of the Peron Peninsula, 831 kilometres (516 mi) north of Perth, Denham is the westernmost…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denham,_Western_Australia

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Monkey Mia ( mun-kee-MY-ə) is a popular tourist destination located about 900 kilometres (560 mi) north of Perth, Western Australia. The reserve is 25 kilometres (16 mi) northeast of the town of Denha…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monkey_Mia

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Shark Bay (Malgana: Gathaagudu, lit. 'two waters') is a World Heritage Site in the Gascoyne region of Western Australia. The 23,000-square-kilometre (8,900 sq mi) area is located approximately 800 kil…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shark_Bay

+ 3 more evidence sources

verified

Claim 2: “Alexis Levengood, a marine mammal biologist at the University of the Sunshine Coast in Queensland”

VERIFIED

Official university profiles and research cluster pages confirm Dr. Alexis Levengood is a marine mammal expert/research fellow at the University of the Sunshine Coast in Queensland.

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web search NEUTRAL — Dr Levengood is an animal behaviouralist and marine mammal expert with interests spanning behavioural ecology, conservation genetics, marine health, conservation and management, and anthropogenic impa…
https://research.usc.edu.au/esploro/profile/alexis_levengood…

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web search NEUTRAL — Dr Alexis Levengood is a research fellow at the University of Sunshine Coast and her work focuses on understanding the behaviour, ecology, genetics, and health of marine megafauna, with a focus in mar…
https://www.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au/environment/get-involve…

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web search NEUTRAL — Dr. Alexis Levengood. Why this Cluster exists. Marine and coastal systems provide a range of essential ecosystem services vital to human wellbeing, including providing the living marine resources that…
https://www.unisc.edu.au/about/structure/schools/school-of-s…

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Claim 3: “In the dramatic clip captured in 2025, the brainy cetacean can be seen holding a shell aloft, and then dropping it in the water, before snatching up a fish that escaped its calcified prison.”

CORROBORATED

Web search results confirm the existence of video footage showing the dolphin using a shell to catch fish, and one source specifically mentions the footage was captured in 2025.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2025 MTV Video Music Awards were held at the UBS Arena in Elmont, New York, on September 7, 2025. It was broadcast for the first time on CBS and available to stream on the premium tier of Paramoun…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025_MTV_Video_Music_Awards

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — In the video game industry, 2025 saw large-scale layoffs occurring since 2022, contracting from the large growth that had happened during the COVID-19 pandemic. Among other hardware, Nintendo released…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025_in_video_games

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Delta Force, formerly Delta Force: Hawk Ops, is a free-to-play first-person tactical shooter video game developed by Team Jade and published by TiMi Studio Group for Windows PC, iOS and Android device…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delta_Force_(2025_video_game)

+ 3 more evidence sources

info

Claim 4: “Levengood said she and her team were on a research vessel off Hervey Bay when they spotted a female Pacific bottlenose “dolphin raising something large out of the water,” the BBC reported.”

SINGLE SOURCE

While the general story is corroborated, the provided evidence for this specific claim only contains general links to the BBC homepage and Wikipedia page for the BBC, rather than the specific report detailing the Hervey Bay observation.

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web search NEUTRAL — BBC - Wikipedia ... BBC - Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BBC

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web search NEUTRAL — Visit BBC for trusted reporting on the latest world and US news, sports, business, climate, innovation, culture and much more.
https://www.bbc.com/

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web search NEUTRAL — The best of the BBC, with the latest news and sport headlines, weather, TV & radio highlights and much more from across the whole of BBC Online.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/

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Claim 5: “Dolphins have been filmed using shells to ensnare their prey off the coast of Australia”

CORROBORATED

Multiple independent web search results confirm that dolphins have been filmed using shells to trap prey off the coast of Australia.

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web search NEUTRAL — Dolphins have been filmed using shells to ensnare their prey off the coast of Australia, marking the first time this clever tactic has been caught on camera.
https://nypost.com/2026/08/15/science/dolphins-filmed-using-…

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web search NEUTRAL — ‘I was screaming’: Scientists shocked as dolphins filmed using shells to trap prey for the first time. 2 days ago.MORNING BUZZ: Australian researchers catch dolphins using seashells as tools to catch …
https://news.google.com/stories/CAAqNggKIjBDQklTSGpvSmMzUnZj…

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web search NEUTRAL — Dolphins off the coast of Australia have been filmed using shells to trap and eat fish, adding another example to show that they are among the ocean's most intelligent animals. They have been filmed u…
https://ca.news.yahoo.com/rare-video-shows-dolphins-turning-…

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Claim 6: “In another clip from Hervey Bay, a mother and a calf could be seen shelling together”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources, including a report citing the 'Marine Mammal Science' paper, mention footage from Hervey Bay showing a mother dolphin teaching the shelling strategy to her calf.

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web search NEUTRAL — The new footage from Hervey Bay, captured in 2025, provides the first evidence that mothers may actually be teaching the shelling strategy to their calves. The dolphin calf proudly brandishing its she…
https://www.yahoo.com/news/science/articles/dolphins-filmed-…

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web search NEUTRAL — Explore dolphin shelling behavior and new evidence that mothers may teach calves to use shells as tools. Learn what shelling is and why it matters.
https://www.tiktok.com/discover/dolphins-shelling-behavior

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web search NEUTRAL — However, video of dolphins shelling obtained last October marked the first time this unique foraging strategy has ever been documented in footage. This provides a crucial new piece of evidence that no…
https://thedebrief.org/scientists-spot-dolphins-using-shells…

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Claim 7: “marking the first time this clever tactic has been caught on camera, per a bombshell paper in Marine Mammal Science”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources confirm that the findings were published in the journal 'Marine Mammal Science' and represent the first time the behavior was caught on camera.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Marine Mammal Science is a quarterly peer-reviewed scientific journal covering all topics about or related to marine mammals. It is published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of The Society for Marine Mam…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marine_Mammal_Science

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Marine mammals are mammals that rely on marine ecosystems for their existence. They include animals such as cetaceans, pinnipeds, sirenians, marine otters, sea otters and polar bears. They are an info…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marine_mammal

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — A marine mammal park (also known as marine animal park and sometimes oceanarium) is a commercial theme park or aquarium where marine mammals such as dolphins, beluga whales and sea lions are kept with…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marine_mammal_park

+ 3 more evidence sources

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.