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Have you ever seen a mysterious eel in the water? These long slippery creatures look more like a snake than a fish in many ways, but an eel is a fish. And it isn’t just their unusual appearance that makes this fish mysterious. For a very long time scientists didn’t know where they came from. Until now!
European eels love water and they aren’t picky about what kind! They can live in fresh and saltwater and can travel over land to get to new bodies of water. Eels have been found in backyard ponds, drainage ditches, oceans and seas and decorative fountains! But where do eels come from before they show up in your backyard pond? Scientists now know.
Using a new kind of satellite tracking device, in 2022 scientists were able to track European eels to their birthplace. That birthplace is in the Sargasso Sea near the Bermuda Triangle. European eels spend about a year migrating from the Sargasso Sea to make their way to their new watery homes.
Eels swim through incredible obstacles for about 4.2 miles each day during this migration journey. That’s some really good long-distance swimming! Once they reach their home eels can enjoy a long life. These fish live for about 50 years, and some for 80 years or longer.
Eels travel from the Sargasso Sea to Europe for over a year with only the help of their built-in internal navigation system. God created these mysterious fish to be incredibly adaptable—their ability to live in fresh and saltwater makes their trip to a pond near you and me possible!
Learn More About This Fact
The interesting looking fish called the eel is an expert long-distance swimmer, it turns out. And modern day technology has solved some of its mystery. Watch the unique looking eel swim through water. It’s a long-distance champion!
