Harnessing the power of the Eel

I saw an article on CNN Go about an electric eel in Japan that lights up a Christmas tree, and knew we had to go and see it.  Inside the eel’s tank are two aluminum sheets that transfer or capture the electricity the eel generates when it moves.  (Obviously, I am not an electrical engineer, so please excuse my probably incorrect words used to describe how the power is actually collected.) Every time the eel moves, the electricity is transferred to the Christmas tree, and it lights up!  We visited the eel two days before Christmas, and it was very impressive.  The tree flickered every time that little eel moved.  You can watch the video of the eel through the link below.  Please excuse my high pitched voice and excited commentary.

[flickr video=5366651576 show_info=no w=500 h=300]