Here's a new knowledge for today: Sharks (probably) go on vacations too.
Researchers from the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) have found a way to know why every year, great white sharks from the California coast travel to the center of the Pacific to a mysterious spot called the "White Shark Cafe."
According to MBARI, great white sharks go on a long trip every winter, swimming halfway to Hawaii and meeting in a particular spot. However, the reason behind this strange behavior is still a mystery.
In order to find out and document the sharks, for the first time ever, researchers have designed a tiny but durable video camera and attached it to a shark to see what they are doing in the White Shark Cafe.
There have been previous studies that have attached cameras to sharks for observation. However, what makes this particular invention unique is that it's built to last for months underwater.
Software engineer Tho Maughan explained that the camera must be strong enough to withstand the extreme pressure and darkness in the ocean. He adds that apart from durability, the said mini video camera should have an internal data processing and long battery life for hours of recording.
“I want to know what they’re doing at this mysterious place,” said biologist Sal Jorgensen of the MBARI via CS Monitor. “It is really sort of like like a mission to Mars because you have all these little systems that have to work just right.”
In 2002, the scientists have discovered the existence of White Shark Cafe after tagging sharks. During their months of stay at the said area, the male white sharks exhibited a "crazy behavior" of swimming up and down 150 times a day.
The shark camera will be put to the real test in December or January when they will be tagged to the sharks' dorsal fins, accompanying the animals in their long journey to the Pacific.
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