Are Sharks Ruining Vietnam's Internet?

Vietnam has recently suffered a number of internet cable system breaks and undersea ruptures, and as a result, network slowdowns and blackouts have plagued the country in recent months. However, while citizens are chalking these failures up to government ineptitude, some experts are saying this is actually the result of a natural disaster - driven by confused and curious sharks.

According to a well-published tech editor, Martin Anderson, at The Stack, Vietnam is not exactly a stranger to network trouble. In one case, it took nearly 20 days for their fragile section of the Asia-America Gateway (AAG) cable system to be repaired, severely impacting business in the country's tech savvy sectors.

As of Monday, the Vietnam Posts and Telecommunications Group (VNPT) reluctantly reported a new breakage not far from the shores of Ba Ria at the coastal city of Vung Tau. This incident follows close behind setbacks and ruptures back in September and July - marking just how vulnerable the relatively new AAG (established in 2009) really is.

And while a lot of blame has been placed on the VNPT, which is ran by the Vietnamese government, other Asian regions including Hong Kong, the Philippines, Brunei, Singapore, and Thailand have also experienced cable-line trouble. That's despite the fact that the Vietnam line is a "blind spoke," meaning its damage should not influence other parts of the cable network.

Instead, it has been suggested that sharks are at least part of the problem, as they could be indiscriminately chewing on the ocean-laid line out of confusion. (Scroll to read on...)

Sharks traditionally hunt not so much with their eyes, but with their nose and sensitive skin. They feel for movement in the water as they hunt down their prey after smelling them from long distances away. However, in the brief moments before they chomp down, a significant amount of research has suggested that sharks also relay on a "sixth sense."

Near the nostrils, around the head and on the underside of the snout, or rostrum, are small pores called ampullae of Lorenzini. According to Shark Savers, a sub-group of Wild Aid, these specialized pores allow sharks to pick up on the small electrical fields generated by other animals, allowing them to accurately close their jaws around prey even in poor visibility.

The hammerhead shark is a prime example that this hunting technique is effective, as it is theorized that its unique snout developed specifically to carry more ampullae. Consequently, these sharks can skim along the ocean floor using their heads much like a metal detector. Fish who would otherwise be safe hiding in a silty sea-bed are quickly found and snapped up by this specialized hunter. Recent research has revealed that the electric eel, another impressive specialist, hunts in almost the exact opposite manner, where waves of powerful electrical signaling it sends out from its body cause nearby hidden prey to twitch violently, revealing their position.

Back in August, the International Business Times reported that Google has started coating some of their cable lines with Kevlar - the very same material used to craft bullet proof vests. The internet giant told press that they were worried about sharks being drawn to the electrical current pulsing through their cables. The hope was that Kevlar would both protect the lines and even help hide that charge.

However, it remains to be seen if this is actually effective.

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