Pacific white line

[1] The white line is formed because the currents bring fresh, cool and nutritious water loaded with minerals from the depths of the ocean to the surface.

When these conditions are present tiny algae called Rhizosolenia, part of the diatom family, begin to flourish.

No thicker than two or three times the width of a human hair, they pile up ahead of the line as it moves west.

They breed once a day to form baby diatomettes and this creates a very localized food source, that all the fish are attracted to.

In these early days scientists were able to discover the time at which the line formed (between January and August, as mentioned earlier).