The appearance of dolphins was a rather pleasant addition to Minecraft. However, it’s still unclear what dolphins eat, and how you can feed them in Minecraft.
Dolphins were added to Minecraft in April of 2018, and the community welcomed them with open arms. They are neutral mobs that live in non-frozen oceans, but what makes them so special is the fact that anyone who swims near them receives a swimming speed boost.
This speed boost is called ‘Dolphin’s Grace’, and it lasts about 5 seconds if you’re sprint-swimming. Moreover, once a dolphin spots you, it will start following you until you stop sprint-swimming. This is mainly why players seek out dolphins when they’re exploring pirate ships and ocean structures.
What Dolphins Eat in Minecraft
Befriending dolphins is something that you should look forward to, and the only way to do that would be by feeding them what they prefer. Dolphins prefer to eat raw cod and salmon, which can also be found in their ocean biome.
Salmon and cod are smaller fish. This means that you’ll need to carefully look for them in more shallow parts of the ocean. The most popular way to get them is by fishing from the shore. But you can also go ahead and get them by simply attacking a cluster of fish with your melee tools.
One thing to note is that upon death, a dolphin can drop you raw cod. Meaning that if you for some reason can’t find cod or salmon naturally, then your last option would be to kill a dolphin. It sounds messed up, but it technically works.
How to Feed a Dolphin in Minecraft
Now that you know what dolphins like to eat, let’s see how you can feed them. Once you’ve gathered the raw cod or salmon, make your way to a dolphin pack or single dolphin and drop the fish out of your inventory.
As soon as you drop it, a dolphin will come to snack on it. This will please them, and they will want to follow you around more. Furthermore, dropping more than one fish will gradually increase their trust factor.
Lastly, we advise against luring dolphins near dry land to feed them. Dolphins generally don’t tend to do well on land, which is why it’s smart to not bring them near it. We’d recommend feeding them directly from a boat, as it’s much safer that way.
Why You Should Feed Dolphins in Minecraft
We’ve already mentioned just how useful dolphins are with their ‘Dolphin’s Grace’ speed boost, but there are other things that they can do once you gain their trust. And given how they travel in packs of 3-5, you’re going to need a lot of raw fish to gain their collective trust.
Aquatic Treasure Hunters
Not many players know this, but dolphins will lead you to nearby ocean structures after you’ve befriended them. This applies not only to ocean monuments, shipwrecks, and other structures with chests, but also to buried treasures that are in the area. All it takes is to feed them a couple of pieces of raw fish.
Now, the way that dolphins target structures is easy, and you can use this knowledge to your advantage. The targeting system of dolphins detects nearby chests, which they will then lead you to. Knowing this you can immediately destroy the chest after looting it and have the dolphin lead you to yet another chest that is nearby.
Protectors of the Sea
Adding onto all of the great things that they can do, dolphins will also become your personal bodyguards once you’ve fed them enough fish. What we mean by this is that they become very protective of you once they consider you a companion, and they will come to your rescue anytime hostile mobs attack you.
Even though dolphins can’t easily kill some of the more dangerous aquatic mobs, they still are sturdy animals. Considering that they spawn in packs of 3 or 5, you’ll have a formidable group of companions ready to protect you during your ocean adventures.
Regardless of if they manage to protect you or not, they are still great at distracting potential mobs and letting you or your friends escape. The ocean can be an unforgiving place, so be sure to bring a lot of raw cod and salmon if you’re ever planning on exploring it or any ocean monuments that you’ve spotted.
Now you know what dolphins eat and how to feed them in Minecraft. Dolphins are fascinating creatures, but there are many more features in Minecraft that you can learn about. Players usually struggle with finding strongholds, which is why we made a guide on how to find strongholds in Minecraft.
