BOSTON (WHDH) - Researchers in Massachusetts made discoveries about giant sharks just off the coast of New England. A new study of endangered sharks revealed some behavior scientists had never seen before.
“For a while, we thought they kind of hibernated just off the continental shelf off the east coast of the U.S. and Canada,” Jaida Elock, a shark scientist, said. “Instead, it turns out that they’re migrating thousands of kilometers down into southern waters. What we’re finding is that they’re spending a lot of time in the mesopelagic zone, the ‘ocean twilight zone.'”
Researchers analyzed more than 8,000 days of tracking data from several Basking sharks tagged near Cape Cod. Experts had previously believed the sharks were fasting during their annual migrations.
They learned that during migration, the animals repeatedly dive 800-1,000 meters into the “ocean twilight zone,” likely to feed on deep-sea prey.
“From one of these tags, we were able to detect light flashes at depth – meaning, there’s no sunlight at that depth, what they’re interacting with and encountering is bioluminescent organisms that they might potentially be feeding on,” Elock said. “There are some really, really small fish and crustaceans down there that they might be able to take advantage of, rather than just relying on things like lipid stores during that long-distance migration.”
Basking sharks are occasionally sighted off the coast and are not aggressive or dangerous to humans. Just last month, a group of divers filmed a video off the coast of Rockport that had a close encounter with one of the giant sharks.
Experts say the new research can help humans better understand how to properly protect the endangered animals.
“It’s really important to conserve these animals, and the best way is to know more about them. Knowing more about these animals will only inform policy that can help us protect these animals,” Elock said.
(Copyright (c) 2026 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)