Mystique the humpback dolphin from Tin Can Bay on Queensland's Cooloola Coast has developed an unusual habit during the coronavirus pandemic while tourists have been staying home.
The 29-year-old male dolphin has taken to bringing the volunteers at Barnacles Café and Dolphin Feeding centre an array of items each day.
While the dolphin has often displayed giving behaviour, dolphin feeding volunteer Lyn McPherson said his activity had increased while the dolphin feeding centre was closed to tourists.
"One male dolphin brings in objects on his rostrum, or beak, and then he carefully presents them to us," Ms McPherson said.
"What we have to do is give him a fish in return.
"We haven't trained him, but he has trained us to do this.
"He gets under it [and] if he drops it too far out, or we say 'come on, that's not good enough', then he gets underneath it and brings it to us."
The items have included bottles, big bits of timber, shells, and wood, which are brought in on his beak.
"We swear he has a collection waiting to bring to us," Ms McPherson said.
"Since we've been closed to the public he has been doing it more and more. Sometimes he will bring 10, one at a time, and he will line them up as he has to get fish."
Mystique is the only one of the seven dolphins part of the wild dolphin feeding program that has the habit.
"There is another male but he doesn't seem to do it. He goes with him [Mystique] to find them, and then we have to give him a fish as well," Ms McPherson said.
The dolphin feeding program can see as many as 200 tourists visit the centre per day during school holidays.
It was closed until May 16, when restrictions were eased to allow visitors again.
Mystique came to Tin Can Bay with "his mum" in 1991.
"He stands out because he gets raked up fighting with other males," Ms McPherson said.
"He also had a bull shark attack in 2007 and is missing a bit of his tail, and a bit of his dorsal fin".
