These Dolphins Love to Bring Humans “Gifts” From the Sea at This Australian Café
Australian humpback dolphins have been delivering “gifts” to volunteers at a Tin Can Bay café.
The pod of estuarial dolphins return to the cafe regularly where volunteers feed them some of their favorite fish.
They have been known to bring humans sea sponges and pieces of coral.
Humpback dolphins, much like humans, have their own tactics to woo a potential mate with gifts. But for one Australian humpback dolphin pod, humans have become the center of affection as they swim up to a Tin Can Bay café to deliver everything from coral to sea sponges.
Volunteers at the Barnacles Café and Dolphin Feeding Center in Australia have been documenting these occurrences on social media, and claim that the resident pod of nine has been offering ocean treasures as a way to socially interact with humans while residents stay home under quarantine. “The pod has been bringing us regular gifts, showing us how much they’re missing the public interaction and attention,” says one Facebook post.
According to the café’s website, the pod is led by alpha male Mystique, who is known to bring large pieces of coral and even glass bottles to dolphin-feeding volunteers. The rest of his squad consists of his estuary-dwelling counterparts, including Patch, Ella, Harmony, and Squirt, to name a few.
This isn’t the first time these majestic creatures have presented marine gifts on their noses. On several occasions, Mystique and his friends have brought volunteers items found in the water, but the most popular present is the sea sponge.
Dolphin expert and University of Queensland Ph.D. student Barry McGovern told 7News Australia that while there is a possibility the dolphins are missing café guests, they probably just miss the extra feeding time. “Nothing surprises me with dolphins and their behavior anymore. They do everything: They use tools, they have culture, they have something similar to names in signature whistles,” he says. “In all likelihood, they probably don’t miss humans per se. They probably miss a free meal and the routine.”
McGovern even says that this play-like behavior may be happening because the dolphins want something to do. “They’re used to getting fed now, so they’re used to humans coming in,” he says. “When it’s not happening, maybe it’s just out of boredom.”
While the tourist destination attracts people interested in feeding the dolphins, the business says they are regulated by the Queensland government. The dolphins tend to swim near the café where they are fed once in the morning before returning back into the wild.
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