Scientists may have discovered the secret social lives of great white sharks, a new study reveals. While tracking multiple great whites, a team of researchers says it found that some would stick together for more than an hour when patrolling areas around Guadalupe Island. The reason they roam in groups may be simple, yet scary. Apparently, the sharks may have discovered that they can kill larger prey when they work as a team.
The results were published in a new study.
But how exactly did these researchers stumble upon this revelation? The group of researchers, including Florida International University marine scientist Yannis Papastamatiou, say they wanted to learn more about the white sharks that gather around Guadalupe Island each year. The waters around the island are teeming with tuna and seals, which makes it a living buffet for the sharks.
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To study them, the team created a “super social tag”. This tag allowed them to track the sharks. They were also able to capture video footage of them using an array of different sensors. These sensors showed them depth, direction, and even how quickly the sharks turned when swimming. The secret weapon of the tracker, though, was the sensor that detected nearby sharks with tags issued during previous studies.
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