 Based on a 2014 study , the population of Indo @-@ Pacific bottlenose dolphins ( Tursiops sp . ) around Shark Bay of Western Australia can be divided into spongers and nonspongers . Spongers put sea sponges on their snout as a protective means against abrasions from sharp objects , stingray barbs , or toxic organisms . The sponges also help the dolphins target fish without swim bladders , since echolocation cannot detect these fish easily against a complex background . Spongers also specifically forage in deep channels , but nonspongers are found foraging in both deep and shallow channels . This foraging behavior is mainly passed on from mother to child . Therefore , since this is a group behavior being passed down by social learning , this tool use is considered a cultural trait . 
