Scalloped Hammerhead

Photo: Kris Mikael Krister · CC BY

Schools of scalloped hammerheads use the channel's cool upwellings as a navigational corridor during winter months, often appearing in groups of 20 to 100 individuals mid-water. They are drawn by the high baitfish density that aggregates along the thermocline where warm Kuroshio water meets cooler inshore water. Outside peak season solitary animals still pass through on territorial patrols.