Its been weeks since visitors at Barnacles Cafe and Dolphin Feeding lined up to feed the animals, due to coronavirus restrictions. Now it seems the dolphins are trying to communicate something.

According to a report by 7NEWS.com.au, a pod of humpback dolphins at Tin Can Bay in Queensland, Australia has been bringing ashore gifts from the sea - "apparently because theyre missing interaction with humans.

Gifts presented by the dolphins have been sea sponges, barnacle-encrusted bottles and pieces of coral, the report said.

The humpback dolphins usually mingle with visitors at Barnacles Cafe & Dolphin Feeding at Tin Can Bay, located north of the Sunshine Coast.

A post on the cafes Facebook page said, The pod has been bringing us regular gifts, showing us how much theyre missing the public interaction and attention. They are definitely missing you all.

The 7NEWS report said a Barnacles volunteer told the ABC that although the pod has displayed the behavior in the past, it had increased since the venue has been closed.

What explanation can be given for the dolphins actions?

Barry McGovern, a UQ PhD student, and an expert in dolphin behavior, told 7NEWS it was possible, but unlikely the dolphins were giving gifts because they missed humans.

Nothing surprises me with dolphins and their behavior anymore, McGovern said. They do everything - they use tools, they have culture, they have something similar to names in signature whistles."

In all likelihood, they probably dont miss humans per se. They probably miss a free meal and the routine, McGovern told 7NEWS.

The report said McGovern also speculated it may be a play-like behavior.

They often play with bits of weed and coral and all sorts of things and just leave it on their rostrum (nose), he said.

Theyre used to getting fed now, so theyre used to humans coming in. When its not happening, maybe its just out of boredom, McGovern told 7NEWS.

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Dolphins bring gifts from sea in apparent response to lack of human interaction during pandemic isolation: Vi - PennLive