Sharks are among a group of animals with a 6th sense that humans don't have - they use Earth's magnetic field to navigate awoodward@insider.com (Aylin Woodward) Some shark species swim thousands of miles back to the same feeding grounds every year. They most likely use Earth's magnetic field to orient themselves, a new study shows. Shark species have an uncanny ability to find their way back to the same feeding grounds every year - even areas thousands of miles away. According to a study published Thursday, that's because sharks have a superior navigational tool at their disposal: They can orient themselves using Earth's magnetic field.