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Great White Sharks Have A Secret 'Cafe,' And They Led Scientists Right To It

Great white sharks have a "hidden life" that is becoming a lot less hidden thanks to a scientific expedition that has been years in the making.

Shark with a tracker attached to him.
Scientists tagged over 30 great white sharks last fall — more than they had ever done in a single season. Courtesy Stanford University — Block Lab Hopkins Marine Station

Scientists used to think the apex predators moved up and down the western coast of North America, snacking in waters with lots of food close to shore. Almost 20 years ago, Stanford marine biologist Barbara Block started putting tags on the sharks that could track their movements.

She and other researchers noticed something surprising — the tags showed that the sharks were moving away from these food-rich waters and heading more than a thousand miles off the coast of Baja California in Mexico.

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