Question:

I listened to Quirks and Quarks on CBC radio today where Dr. Barbara Block spoke about the "shark cafe" as a point about halfway between California and Hawaii where great white sharks congregate. She said they dive down very deep and it's not known for sure what attracts them to this isolated spot. I remember hearing on another episode of Quirks and Quarks about a study that showed that crabs can navigate their way to their "home" using receptors that are sensitive to the earth's magnetic field.

Answer:

Hi Aaron, I looked at this question as part of my PhD thesis. In the image below, you see a magnetic anomaly map of the eastern North Pacific. While there are patterns at the shark cafe, there is ...

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