The Atlas Obscura Podcast · Tuesday, September 15, 2026
Researchers have discovered that great white sharks leave the "Red Triangle" off the coast of Northern California each spring to travel to a deep-sea area, dubbed the 'Great White Cafe'. This oceanic desert is teeming with prey like squid, jellyfish, and lanternfish, which the sharks consume in the dark depths.
“It's about 2,000 square miles of the Pacific Ocean, roughly the size of Delaware, and contains a very large population of marine life, which makes the perfect hunting ground for great white sharks.”
“So, the researchers followed. And what they stumbled upon was an area teeming with life. Just not the type that enjoyed the sun. There were schools of small silvery lanternfish, glowing faintly in the deep.”
“Scientists believe these creatures were the main draw. Their forms went down easy and required less effort to catch.”