SHARK WEEK, television’s longest running must-see summer TV event, returns to Discovery Channel on Sunday, August 4, 2013 at 8PM. This year’s SHARK WEEK features both favorites and firsts like Sharkpocalypse, Return of Jaws, Megalodon: The Monster Shark Lives, I Escaped Jaws, Voodoo Sharks, and Spawn of Jaws.
Of particular interest to Floridians where the Sunshine State ranks number 1 in the U.S. for shark attacks, Sharkpocalypse examines the trend of sharks moving in closer to shorelines and debates whether there is a connection between declining shark populations and the increase in shark attacks. Also this year, Shark Cam, a robot submarine that is used to track sharks in a new and exciting way. Return of Jaws includes spectacular footage of Shark Cam following Great White Sharks living and hunting off the shores of Cape Cod. Footage of a 17-foot Great White is seen at close range over a five hour period as the shark hunts seal colonies, comes close to shore in less than four feet of water, and takes a chilling interest in one specific area.
In Megalodon: The Monster Shark Lives (WT), Discovery searches for a massive killer great white shark responsible for a rash of fatalities off the coast of South Africa. One controversial scientist believes that the shark responsible could be Megalodon, a 60-foot relative of the great white that is one of the largest and most powerful predators in history. Our oceans remain 95% unexplored, and this massive prehistoric predator has always been shrouded in secrecy, but after a rash of newly discovered evidence, authorities are forced to investigate whether this predator, long thought to be extinct, could still be lurking in our deepest oceans. A crew of scientists and shark experts examine evidence.
I Escaped Jaws features yet another SHARK WEEK first as Discovery uses for the first time real shark attack footage captured by eye-witnesses to examine harrowing first-hand accounts from everyday people who stared into the jaws of a shark and survived. Some used their wits; some relied on experience, and all lived to share their chilling stories.
A lesser-known shark “hot spot” is explored in Voodoo Sharks, where Bull Shark populations have moved beyond oceans and U.S. coasts to the bayous of Louisiana. Nicknamed ‘Voodoo Sharks’ by local shrimp fishermen, these Bull Sharks have the extraordinary ability to live in both salt and fresh water environments. They show up by the hundreds in the bayous of Louisiana and create more than just confusion for those who encounter these dominant and startling predators for the first time.
Also slated this year is Spawn of Jaws which follows a scientist on the brink of a breakthrough as he reveals the life cycle of the Great White Shark for the first time, including mating and pupping. The Great White Gauntlet (WT) explores the dangers of abalone diving, which can be as both lucrative and dangerous because it happens in one of the most deadly shark feeding grounds in the world where the Great White Sharks prowl. Top 10 Sharkdown updates the international shark attack files for the 21st century and takes a closer look at the sharks you don’t want to meet this summer — and the ones you’re most likely to encounter. And Alien Monster Sharks follows American and Japanese scientists as they descend into the deepest and darkest unexplored oceans on earth in search of some of the more incredible and bizarre sharks on the planet, from the Goblin shark to the elusive, giant Megamouth shark.
For more information on all things sharks, fans can head over to SharkWeek.com, the destination for SHARK WEEK content featuring infographics, videos and other interactive elements including games. Viewers can get the latest SHARK WEEK updates and connect with fellow fans at facebook.com/sharkweek and by following @SharkWeek on Twitter.
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