Dolphin feeding technique called fish whacking caught on camera

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Scientists have become increasingly fascinated with the fish-hunting behavior of bottlenose dolphins. 

In the Bay Area, their feeding techniques can be spotted in shallower waters of inlets and around islands. 

Last week, the folks at See Through Canoe sent up their drone and were lucky enough to catch a dolphin in the act of fish kicking, also known as fish whacking.

It's rare to see the action from this perspective.

Michael from See Through Canoe said the video, "shows the actual kick, the moment the dolphin's tail makes contact with the fish and sends it soaring."

The action stuns the fish just long enough for the dolphin to swim over and gulp it down.

Michael says the fish in his video are mullet. 

"In the second clip the mullet times its jump perfectly to avoid the dolphin's tail and gets away," he said on Facebook.

Another common technique dolphins use to easily catch fish is the mud ring technique. They swim in a circle in shallow water, kicking up sediment and creating a muddy ring around fish. 

The fish try to escape the ring by jumping out of it, giving the dolphins a chance to catch them midair.