A method of acquiring seismic data for a subsea region of the earth, said method comprising: (a) Using a marine vessel to tow at least one marine seismic source and a system of at least four laterally-spaced seismic streamers (16, 62, 64) through a body of water, wherein each of said seismic streamers comprises a series of at least 100 longitudinally-spaced marine seismic receivers, wherein at least one-half of said seismic streamers include steering devices capable of controlling the lateral position of said seismic streamers during towing; (b) Simultaneously with step (a), maintaining said system (50, 60) of seismic streamers in a flared configuration (c) Simultaneously with steps (a) and (b), exciting said at least one marine seismic source to thereby causing wave energy to travel through said body of water and into said subsea region of the earth; and (d) Simultaneously with steps (a) and (b), detecting reflected and /or refracted wave energy with said marine seismic receivers, wherein the detected wave energy contains seismic information about said subsea region of the earth; and characterised in that the flared configuration comprises (i) a flared section (52, 66) having a length (l f) less than the total length (l t) of the seismic streamer system, and (ii) a non-flared section (54, 68), the configuration being maintained over a towed controlled flaring distance of at least five kilometres, wherein when said system (50, 60) of seismic streamers is in said flared configuration the average lateral spacing between said seismic streamers in a flared section (52, 66) of said system of seismic streamers increases rearwardly at a rate of at least 0.001 meters, lateral, per meter, longitudinal, wherein said flared section has a length that is at least 5 percent of the total length (l t) of said system (50, 60) of seismic streamers. (a) Using a marine vessel to tow at least one marine seismic source and a system of at least four laterally-spaced seismic streamers (16, 62, 64) through a body of water, wherein each of said seismic streamers comprises a series of at least 100 longitudinally-spaced marine seismic receivers, wherein at least one-half of said seismic streamers include steering devices capable of controlling the lateral position of said seismic streamers during towing; (b) Simultaneously with step (a), maintaining said system (50, 60) of seismic streamers in a flared configuration (c) Simultaneously with steps (a) and (b), exciting said at least one marine seismic source to thereby causing wave energy to travel through said body of water and into said subsea region of the earth; and (d) Simultaneously with steps (a) and (b), detecting reflected and /or refracted wave energy with said marine seismic receivers, wherein the detected wave energy contains seismic information about said subsea region of the earth; and characterised in that the flared configuration comprises (i) a flared section (52, 66) having a length (l f) less than the total length (l t) of the seismic streamer system, and (ii) a non-flared section (54, 68), the configuration being maintained over a towed controlled flaring distance of at least five kilometres, wherein when said system (50, 60) of seismic streamers is in said flared configuration the average lateral spacing between said seismic streamers in a flared section (52, 66) of said system of seismic streamers increases rearwardly at a rate of at least 0.001 meters, lateral, per meter, longitudinal, wherein said flared section has a length that is at least 5 percent of the total length (l t) of said system (50, 60) of seismic streamers.