Pod of dolphins launch fish tens of feet in the air with unique hunting technique off the Florida coast
- Pod of dolphins were seen using the unusual technique off the Florida coastline
- Dolphin kicks the fish and injures it making it easier to snap up when hunting
- They divide school of fish in half so they are more vulnerable and easier to grab
This is the moment a pod of dolphins ‘launch fish into orbit’ in a new hunting technique seen off Florida’s coast.
Footage shows a dolphin whipping a fish into the air with its tail and zips through the water to catch it.
The kick by the dolphin normally stuns the fish and injures it which makes it easy to hunt.
Footage shows a dolphin whipping a fish into the air with its tail and zips through the water to catch it
Dolphins will also grab a fish and slam it into the sea’s surface to break it into smaller pieces and make it easier to eat.
They are also known to use their sonar to disorientate and shock groups of fish so they are more vulnerable and easier to catch.
Canoeist Michael, who filmed the video, said: ‘The dolphin is using the schooling nature of fish against them as the dolphins swim through a school of fish, the divided group is eager to reform.
‘When a fish in the school gets too close to the dolphin’s tail as it swims around the dolphin to rejoin the group, it gets kicked.
‘This hunting technique is fairly common, but people only see it from ground level so all they see is a dolphin, and a fish soaring high into the air.
‘The aerial views in this video show exactly what is happening.’
The kick by the dolphin normally stuns the fish and injures it which makes it easy to hunt
Canoeist Michael, who filmed the video, said: ‘The dolphin is using the schooling nature of fish against them as the dolphins swim through a school of fish, the divided group is eager to reform