Dolphins Get High On Pufferfish And Pass Them Around In Groups

Last Updated:April 22, 2026, 18:35 IST

Footage and observations suggest dolphins deliberately interact with pufferfish to experience the effects of their toxins.

Dolphins have been seen deliberately interacting with pufferfish in a way that looks anything but accidental.

In footage filmed for a BBC documentary, young dolphins were observed gently biting and passing around a pufferfish, taking turns holding it in their mouths. The behaviour stood out because it wasn’t feeding. It looked controlled, repeated and very deliberate.

The reason it caught attention is what pufferfish carry.

They contain tetrodotoxin, a powerful neurotoxin that can be dangerous in high doses. But in very small amounts, it can have a narcotic effect. Researchers and wildlife filmmakers noticed that after interacting with the fish, the dolphins appeared to enter a trance-like state.

They slowed down.

They hovered near the surface, sometimes appearing unusually still, as if watching their own reflection. The behaviour was very different from their usual fast, playful movement.

What stood out just as much was how structured it seemed.

The dolphins didn’t attack or consume the fish. Instead, they handled it carefully, passing it between each other in a way that looked almost like turn-taking. The pufferfish would inflate as a defence mechanism, releasing small amounts of toxin, and the dolphins seemed to be reacting to that.

This wasn’t a one-off sighting either.

People have noticed this behaviour more than once, which is why animal behaviour and intelligence researchers are so interested in it. Dolphins already have a reputation for being smart and social, and their interactions can get pretty complex. So, seeing this only makes them more fascinating.

It looks like dolphins don’t just run on pure instinct—they might actually be seeking out new kinds of experiences.

Still, scientists don’t want to get ahead of themselves. There’s no clear proof that dolphins are deliberately trying to “get high" in the way humans understand it. What we’re seeing is based on their behaviour and how they react, not on any direct way of knowing what they’re actually feeling.

Even so, the pattern is hard to ignore. They approach the fish, handle it in a controlled way, pass it along and then show noticeable changes in behaviour afterwards.

Whether it’s curiosity, play or something closer to intoxication, it’s a rare glimpse into how complex and unusual animal behaviour can be.

And in this case, it involves one of the ocean’s most intelligent animals interacting with one of its most toxic.

News viral Dolphins Get High On Pufferfish And Pass Them Around In Groups

Read More