Shark Bay dolphins forming the equivalent of boy bands to attract a mate, scientists say

Males named Pong, Quasi and Pasta form a group researchers have dubbed "The Kroker Spaniels". (Supplied: Dr Simon Allen)

When you think of boy bands, a pod of dolphins does not usually spring to mind.

However, marine scientists in Shark Bay, about 800 kilometres north of Perth, say the local dolphins are turning to song and dance to attract a mate.

"You'll hear this, 'Click click click click', and the pace and the tempo will be matched by these tightly bonded males in this bromance world," Shark Bay Dolphin Research Alliance (SBDRA) co-director Simon Allen says.

Males swim in formation behind a female named Emu, who is foraging with a sea sponge. (Supplied: Dr Simon Allen)

He said male dolphins in groups of four to 14 were performing synchronised movements and displays while singing in unison to attract females.

Dr Allen has given the dances names like "The Butterfly Display" and "The Tango".

Dr Simon Allen says the male dolphins form tightly bonded groups. (ABC Pilbara: Kate Ferguson)

"If you think of the New Zealand [national rugby team] All Blacks' Haka, you see those physical movements and the voice movements, and they're all in synchrony," he said.

"It has been very clearly shown in humans and in some other primates, that when you perform these synchronous movements, and sing in unison, then that diminishes the perceived threat of opponents."

A trio of males dubbed "The Latin Kings" swim with a female. (Supplied: Dr Simon Allen)

Founded in 1982 by marine scientists Richard Connor and Rachel Smoker, SBDRA has a research station in Monkey Mia where international researchers spend more than half the year researching dolphin behaviour.

They have recently turned to drones to make new discoveries and keep an eye on the health of Shark Bay's dolphin population — believed to be one of the most researched in the world.

Monkey Mia in Shark Bay is renowned for its handfed wild dolphins. (ABC Pilbara: Kate Ferguson)

International scientists onsite

Marine scientists from Georgetown University in Washington, United States, have been researching Shark Bay dolphins since 1982 and are one of two international teams currently on location.

PhD student Meredith MacQueeney is from Georgetown University in Washington, US. (ABC Pilbara: Kate Ferguson)

Meredith MacQueeney, a PhD Student from Georgetown University, described the dolphins as "really intelligent mammals".

"They have a social system that's quite different from our own," she said.

"And studying these animals allows us to think about questions like, you know, what is the nature of intelligence? How did that evolve?"

Shark Bay dolphins use sponges to protect their noses while foraging for food. (Supplied: Shark Bay Dolphin Project)

A unique behaviour is their use of cone shaped sponges to help forage for food, a tactic observed only in Shark Bay.

Female dolphins are believed to teach their offspring the skill at an early age.

"Those dolphins really specialise in that tactic," Ms MacQueeney said.

"Whereas other dolphins will use a number of different strategies to catch fish and forage, these dolphins spend 96 per cent of their time foraging only on that one specific strategy, so they're really specialists.

"They're the smarty pants out here."