Great White Shark Meeting Ground Mystifies Scientists
Ever since it was discovered two decades ago, the Great White Shark Café has captivated scientists due to its mysterious nature as a meeting ground for great white sharks. Now, some of its secrets have been demystified, and scientists are finally getting a better picture of why great white sharks migrate to that specific spot on the ocean floor. One of the main reasons the sharks travel there is for food.
A Buffet
Great White Shark Café is located in the Pacific Ocean, halfway between Baja California and Hawaii, and the results of recent studies show why large crowds of great white sharks migrate offshore to that specific underwater spot in the middle of the Pacific.
Apparently, the area that was previously considered an oceanic desert that hosts very little life is actually an oceanic oasis that hosts rich communities of marine animals. This suggests that great white sharks migrate there for food despite being apex predators swimming in a food buffet offered by the Californian coast.
More Questions
Researchers found that the Great White Shark Café is actually a biologically diverse environment with over 100 species of deep-sea fish and squids, making it a viable food source to support large pelagic predators, such as great white sharks—which migrate to this remote patch of the Pacific Ocean the size of Colorado.
However, while one of the mysteries associated with the meeting ground might be solved, the discovery gave birth to further questions, mainly associated with the behavior expressed by the sharks.
The Data Reveals Surprising Things
The scientists still don’t understand why sharks migrate to Great White Shark Café, especially since they have abundant sources of food along the California coast.
Additionally, the data collected also shows that sharks took unusually deep dives below the surface, with male sharks plunging up to 140 times per day during April, while the diving habits of females remained unchanged. While the answer to the former remains elusive, the answer to the latter might be as simple as mating.
Males And Females Acting Differently
Great White Shark Café is obviously abundant with life, and some marine animals have a cycle of migration up and down the water column, suggesting that frequently diving males are following their food.
However, it doesn’t explain why female sharks don’t appear to be doing the same, suggesting a possible mating behavior. In other words, males might be diving deeper to increase their chances of mating. However, this is still speculation at this point.
Great White Shark Cafe
Great White Shark Café was discovered in the early 2000s through satellite tagging and tracking of six sharks, four of which swam to the Café.
Later, in 2018, researchers tagged 20 great white sharks and tracked them using satellite tags, only to later retrieve ten said tags that contained information about the shark’s movement, their deep diving behavior, and the environmental conditions of the meeting ground, which was previously considered an oceanic desert. This also included information about the marine life at the location.
And while this research, conducted by Standford University Hopkins Marine Station, has shed some light on the mysteries of the Great White Shark Café, many questions still remain—perhaps the environment sets the perfect mood for these sea predators.
