News: Discovery's Shark Week 30th Anniversary Premieres July 22.

UPDATED Tues 7/10/18 – 30th Anniversary Shark Week Programming Schedule Announed

RAISE YOUR FINS FOR SHARK WEEK’S 30^th ANNIVERSARY FILLED WITH JAWSOME SHARK PROGRAMMING AIRING SUNDAY, JULY 22 TO SUNDAY, JULY 29 ON DISCOVERY

SHARK WEEK 2018 celebrates 30 years with shark stars and a fintastic supporting cast of all-star celebrities including Shaq, Ronda Rousey, Aaron Rodgers, Gronk, Lindsey Vonn, Mark Cuban, Barbara Corcoran, Kevin O’Leary, Daymond John, Guy Fieri and Bear Grylls

(Los Angeles – July 10, 2018) – SHARK WEEK, television’s longest-running event takes a bite out of summer for its 30^th anniversary, premiering Sunday July 22 at 7:00PM ET/PT and continuing through Sunday, July 29. After three decades and hundreds of shows, SHARK WEEK 2018 celebrates this milestone with an all-star lineup of athletes and celebrities including Shaquille O’Neal, Ronda Rousey, Aaron Rodgers, Rob Gronkowski, Lindsey Vonn, Mark Cuban, Barbara Corcoran, Kevin O’Leary, Daymond John, Guy Fieri and Bear Grylls. In addition, SHARK WEEK’s team of renowned scientists deliver all-new groundbreaking shark stories incorporating innovative research technology to reveal compelling insight into the mysterious world of sharks. Finally, SHARK WEEK 2018 will feature the most hours of shark programming ever on Discovery Channel with over twenty hours of celebrity surprises and jaws-dropping shark stories.

Check out SHARK WEEK 2018’s fintastic programming schedule here:

ALIEN SHARKS: GREATEST HITS – Airing Sunday, July 22 at 7PM ET/PT
To flying jaws… To flailing saws… From ghostly green eyes… Unbelievable adaptations…and unique mutations… Deep below the ocean’s surface live some of the strangest creatures and most frightening sharks on Earth. And the deeper you go, the more mysterious they get. In Alien Sharks: Greatest Hits, we’re recounting the biggest discoveries, weirdest adaptations, and most memorable moments from the past five years of Alien Sharks. Produced by Discovery Studios.

BEAR VS SHARK – Airing Sunday, July 22 at 8PM ET/PT
We’ve seen Bear Grylls survive almost every land-based scenario imaginable, but in Bear VS Shark, Bear takes on a whole new set of challenges against the ocean’s most powerful predators. And in typical Bear Grylls fashion, he pushes the limits beyond anything we’ve seen in the history of Shark Week. Chumming from a helicopter? Check. Diving into a feeding frenzy? Check. Human bait? Check! Produced by Electus.

SHAQ DOES SHARK WEEK – Airing Sunday, July 22 at 9PM ET/PT
In the hopes of securing the ultimate symbol of fame and fortune – your very own week – Shaquille O’Neal inadvertently signed himself up to be thrust into the teeth of the 30th Anniversary of Shark Week. There’s only one problem. Shaq doesn’t do Sharks. To overcome his fear of sharks, he’s going to need some help – enter Ex-Marine and comedian Rob Riggle who will help train him at Atlantis, Paradise Island in The Bahamas for the big plunge. Produced by Anomaly Entertainment / Will Packer Productions.

RONDA ROUSEY UNCAGED – Airing Sunday, July 22 at 10PM ET/PT
Olympian and UFC Hall of Famer Ronda Rousey sets out to test her courage and prove the fighter mentality that made her a champion will allow her to stare down any opponent- even the Mako Shark. Former Navy diver and shark attack survivor, Paul De Gelder, coaches rookie diver Ronda Rousey through three rounds of survival training against heavyweight opponents including deadly Bull Sharks, all building to a historic “Main Event” where Ronda attempts to step outside the safety of any cage to face the ultimate fighter of the sea – The Mako. Produced by Propagate Content.

MONSTER TAG – Airing Monday, July 23 at 8PM ET/PT
In this thrilling and urgent Shark Week special, Aaron Rodgers, Lindsey Vonn and Rob Gronkowski will join forces with top shark scientists to learn crucial information about the ocean’s top predators. Shark populations are in trouble worldwide, but a daring collection of dedicated shark researchers are using the latest satellite technology to try and save them. If researchers can use satellite wildlife tags to figure out where sharks feed, mate, and birth their pups, the information will be critical to conserving the species. Produced by Propagate Content.

GREAT WHITE ABYSS – Airing Monday, July 23 at 9PM ET/PT
The deeper you dive the bigger the sharks? A team of experts go to Great White hotspot Guadalupe Island to look for the biggest sharks of their kind. Once before, a 20-foot female named Deep Blue showed herself, then disappeared into the deep. Is that where all the giant sharks live? Dr. Mauricio Hoyos thinks so. In a combination of deep-water cage and submarine dives, Hoyos and expert shark diver Jimi Partington, plus Andy Casagrande go looking for big, bigger – the biggest sharks in the deep water around Guadalupe. Produced by Anomaly Entertainment.

CUBA’S SECRET SHARK LAIR – Airing Monday, July 23 at 10PM ET/PT
In 1945, one of the largest sharks ever recorded was captured in Cuban waters. This Great White was named ‘El Monstruo’, but sightings of huge sharks around Cuba didn’t end there. The phenomenon of massive sharks around Cuba puzzled scientists, but for years the island nation has been closed off to outsiders. Now, two teams of researchers have finally been granted permission to delve into the mystery of Cuba’s gigantic sharks. To the south, a team looks for a massive Great Hammerhead known as ‘The Queen’. And off Cuba’s north shore, the hunt is on for another ‘El Monstruo’-sized Great White! Produced by ITV.

GUY FIERI’S FEEDING FRENZY – Airing Tuesday, July 24 at 8PM ET/PT
In the food world, Guy’s known as the perfect eating machine…but he’s finally met his match when he goes flip flop to fin with the ultimate feeding machines of the sea. In this one hour special, Guy and his son, Hunter, head to the Bahamas to experience local cuisine and explore and understand just what makes the waters around these islands the perfect all-you-can- eat buffet for such a wide variety of shark species. Produced by Citizen Pictures.

LAWS OF JAWS– Airing Tuesday, July 24 at 9PM ET/PT
Shark attacks are on the rise but are these attacks the result of the shark’s behavior or our own? Our team of expert divers Liz Parkinson, Mike Dornellas and Nick LeBeouf and professional cameraman Andy Casagrande put this theory to the test. By reenacting five harrowing real-life encounters and putting their own lives on the line. The most daring shark experiments ever attempted help to uncover the keys to survive. If you step into the waters this summer, make sure you know the LAWS OF JAWS. Produced by Lucky 8.

AIR JAWS: THE HUNTED – Tuesday, July 24 at 10PM ET/PT
In 2017, five full grown Great White sharks washed up dead on beaches in South Africa. The necropsy revealed they were eaten alive and their livers were devoured. What is the only massive sea predator that has the ability to capture, kill and wipe out a group of 15-foot, 3,000-pound Great White sharks? Orcas. Shark Biologist Alison Towner is on the case, searching for the killers in these grisly crimes and sleuthing for the answer everyone is asking: will they attack again? On her journey, Alison locates two Orcas, named Port and Starboard, easily identifiable by their drooping dorsal fins and she determines how they could be the attackers. In one of the most gripping stories of survival, Alison teams up with conservationist Chris Fallows and filmmakers Jeff Kurr and Andy Casagrande to find out how these Great Whites are being wiped out and what can be done to save them. Produced by Original Content group / Shark Week Entertainment.

AIR JAWS: BACK FROM THE DEAD – Airing Wednesday, July 25 at 8PM ET/PT
In 2001, filmmaker Jeff Kurr joined shark photographer Chris Fallows off South Africa to witness an amazing great white behavior – sharks launching out of the ocean as they attack seals. The fabulous Air Jaws series was born! Now, 17 years and 7 shows later, orcas have killed several sharks off Cape Town and driven off the rest, so the future of the phenomenon is in question. Jeff and Chris travel to New Zealand to search for a new Air Jaws location – and look back through the fabulous visual record of South African ‘flying’ sharks to help them find the right spot. Produced by Shark Entertainment.

SHARK TANK MEETS SHARK WEEK – Airing Wednesday, July 25 at 9PM ET/PT
In a never-before-seen matchup, two titans of TV come together in SHARK TANK MEETS SHARK WEEK. This time, the Sharks aren’t battling to buy businesses; instead they are all vying for a $50,000 donation on the line. The Sharks are each paired with a shark-centric non-profit where they interact with sharks and uncover the issues sharks are facing. They’ll discover the threats of finning, micro-plastics and the shark-saving measures of tagging or ecotourism. Armed with their newfound knowledge and life changing experiences, our Sharks head back to the Shark Tank studio where, for the first time ever, they have to pitch each other. Mark Cuban, Daymond John, Barbara Corcoran, and Kevin O’Leary have to convince their fellow Sharks, including Robert Herjavec, why their non-profit deserves to win the $50,000 donation. It’s a feeding frenzy of Shark versus Shark. Produced by Radley Studios.

SHARKCAM STAKEOUT – Airing Wednesday, July 25 at 10PM ET/PT
SharkCam is back and with smaller tags, Dr. Greg Skomal and the Woods Hole team go to the Bahamas to investigate the private lives of Bull, and Hammerhead sharks, guided by Doc Gruber and Dr. Tristan Gutteridge of the Bimini Shark Lab. In the past, SharkCam has revealed fascinating new behaviors of white sharks – what new things will the team discover about the hunting techniques of these other three fierce predators? Produced by Big Wave.

SHARKCAM STRIKES BACK – Airing Thursday, July 26 at 8PM ET/PT
SharkCam Strikes Back celebrates the remarkable discoveries the team have made in the last 6 years and takes a tongue in cheek look at some of the disasters. From napping great whites to SharkCam being attacked, its highlights footage SharkCam has captured over the years. It all started with the Shark Week’s 2013 RETURN OF JAWS. Produced by Big Wave.

SHARKWRECKED – Airing Thursday, July 26 at 9PM ET/PT
It’s the most dangerous stunt Shark Week has ever undertaken. In a raw, immersive adventure that includes blowing up a boat in the middle of the ocean, Paul de Gelder and James Glancy spend two days floating with sharks. With no food, water or sleep, their physical condition deteriorates and the risk of shark attack rises. How will the sharks behave? And will the men get attacked? The location is the waters of Cat Island, the Bahamas. One of the last refuges for the endangered Oceanic White Tip. A shark said to be responsible for hundreds of deaths of shipwreck survivors during WW2.The experiment is so dangerous a safety and medical team will float 300 feet away from the men, monitoring their every move. Within minutes, sharks start to arrive. Over the next 2 days an extraordinary survival story unfolds as the sharks get increasingly confident. Produced by Big Wave.

TIGER SHARK INVASION – Airing Thursday, July 26 at 10PM ET/PT
An invasive species is turning one of the world’s oldest marine ecosystems upside down. Dr. Neil Hammerschlag leads a team, including cameraman Joe Romeiro and local expert Alex Hearn, to the Galapagos to observe and document how tiger sharks – new to the islands in the last 10 years – have re-set the underwater order in one of the sharkiest places on the planet. Produced by Radley Studios.

MEGALODON: FACT VS. FICTION– Airing Friday, July 27 at 8PM ET/PT
In Megalodon: Fact Vs. Fiction, we’ll dive into the question: WHAT IF the largest shark that ever existed were still alive today? With the help of experts, we re-examine the original Shark Week special, dissecting key scenes to see if they paint an accurate picture of how Megalodon would have lived and hunted if it were alive today. We’ll look at new evidence from Megaladon’s beginnings. Plus, you’ll get an exclusive Shark Week first look at Warner Bros. Pictures, The Meg, opening August 10, 2018. Produced by Pilgrim Media group.

BLOODLINE: THE SPAWN OF JAWS – Airing Friday, July 27 at 9PM ET/PT
Over four decades ago, giant Great White sharks off Long Island NY gave rise to the legend of JAWS. But all those big sharks were caught, killed and disappeared – until now. With protection, the sons and daughters of Jaws are making a comeback. Dr. Craig O’Connell goes looking for the legendary monsters of Montauk to see if the bloodline of Jaws continues. Produced by Pangolin Pictures.

GREAT WHITE SHARK BABIES – Airing Friday, July 27 at 10PM ET/PT
Their big, their angry, and their pregnant! These large Great White females migrate to Guadalupe for one last big feed of seals before they go off to have their pups. But where do they go? Dr. Mauricio Hoyos believes they head to a biosphere reserve on the coast of Baja because local fishermen report catching many Great White pups there. So, Hoyos and his science team of Michelle Wcisel and Dr. Toby Daly- Engel will track the sharks to Baja, use genetics to identify which pups belong to which females, and confirm a birthing ground to be protected. Produced by Northern Pictures.

RETURN OF MEGA SHARK – Airing Saturday, July 28 at 9PM ET/PT
One of Shark Week’s most exciting missions over the years has been the search for the largest Great White sharks in the world – the mega-sharks. Now Jeff Kurr and Andy Casagrande go to New Zealand to look again for giant White sharks lurking in deep water off the coast and revisit the most exciting events and discoveries from the past to help guide their search. Produced by Shark Entertainment.

SHARKS GONE WILD – Airing Saturday, July 28 at 10PM ET/PT
Discover everything that has happened in the world of sharks this year – the unbelievable viral videos, the biggest news stories, and the latest cutting-edge shark science. Produced by Main Event Media / All3Media.

NAKED AND AFRAID OF SHARKS – Airing Sunday, July 29 at 9PM ET/PT
Stranded on a barren island in the middle of the most shark-infested waters on earth, 5 Naked and Afraid All-Stars must survive for 14 days, exclusively on what the ocean provides. Ky Furneaux, Ryan Holt, Chris Fischer, Steven Lee Hall, and Eva Rupert are separately inserted by boat on an island in the Bahamas. They may be Naked and Afraid veterans but here they are in Shark territory. The boat lands and our Shark Expert comes ashore with the familiar looking bags and some unfamiliar items. These items will help the all-stars survive and get to their completion point over the next 14 days. Produced by Renegade.

SHARK WEEK 2018 Programming Schedule
(All times ET/PT)

Sunday, July 22:
7:00 PM                                  Alien Sharks: Greatest Hits
8:00 PM                                  Bear vs Shark
9:00 PM                                  Shaq Does Shark Week
10:00 PM                                Ronda Rousey Uncaged

Monday, July 23:
8:00 PM                                  Monster Tag
9:00 PM                                  Great White Abyss
10:00 PM                                Cuba’s Secret Shark Lair

Tuesday, July 24:
8:00 PM                                Guy Fieri’s Feeding Frenzy
9:00 PM                                  Laws of Jaws
10:00 PM                                Air Jaws: The Hunted

Wednesday, July 25:
8:00 PM                                 Air Jaws: Back From The Dead
9:00 PM                                  Shark Tank Meets Shark Week
10:00 PM                                SharkCam Stakeout

Thursday, July 26:
8:00 PM                                 SharkCam Strikes Back
9:00 PM                                  Sharkwrecked
10:00 PM                                Tiger Shark Invasion

Friday, July 27:
8:00 PM                                 Megalodon: Fact vs. Fiction
9:00 PM                                  Bloodline: Spawn of Jaws
10:00 PM                                Great White Shark Babies

Saturday, July 28:
9:00 PM Return of the Mega Shark
10:00 PM Sharks Gone Wild

Sunday, July 29:
9:00 PM Naked and Afraid of Sharks

In addition to all the fascinating programming SHARK WEEK has to offer, Discovery will leave no shark fan behind, bringing the SHARK WEEK experience to viewers in new and innovative ways through digital and social media platforms, partnerships with nonprofit groups, affiliates, education programs, and more.

SHARK WEEK has long been a celebrated summer trending topic, making online and social media a jaws-dropping treat for viewers.

Leading up to and during SHARK WEEK, Discovery Channel presents Shark News, covering the latest scientific findings and everything you ever wanted to know about sharks. Fans who follow SHARK WEEK on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter will receive daily video updates all summer long featuring incredible shark facts and the planet’s most jaw-dropping shark footage.

This year fans will see the return of Lunch With The Sharks LIVE: a daily lunchtime streaming of sharks in partnership with the National Aquarium and broadcast via Facebook Live.

Fans will also enjoy a nostalgic walk through the past three decades by taking a daily dip into the Shark Week Time Capsule, covering the best of SHARK WEEK and Pop Culture over the last 30 years with video and photo retrospectives.

Discovery Channel is encouraging all fans and shark enthusiasts to share their passion and insight about sharks online – including the issues our finned friends face. The SHARK WEEK Instagram will feature top shark scientists, filmmakers and advocates, who will connect with fans through photo and video takeovers to highlight their work in the field and provide a platform for the shark conservationist message.

Rounding out this year’s online and social media offering includes original shorts featuring this year’s top SHARK WEEK celebrity talent; exclusive behind-the-scenes and sneak peeks of this year’s SHARK WEEK specials; and 100 new shark GIFs and stickers in partnership with Giphy.

This year, Oceana and Discovery are teaming up to help protect vulnerable hammerhead sharks, which are threatened by a global shark fin trade that includes fins from as many as 73 million sharks each year. The fight against this brutal, wasteful practice is also supported by collaborations with major brands that raise money for Oceana’s campaigns and create content to educate fans about why healthy oceans need sharks.

Nearly all of Discovery’s affiliate partners are participating in promotion around SHARK WEEK with screenings, retail events, sneak peeks, sweepstakes, social and digital promotions, and a robust On Demand and TV Everywhere slate. Additional promotions include employee engagement and family day events, and cross channel spots across all major markets nationwide.

SHARK WEEK will be supported by Discovery Education, which as the leading provider of standards-aligned digital content and professional development for K-12 classrooms, is serving 4.5 million educators and 50 million students worldwide. Through the videos, classroom activities, lessons, virtual reality content, and immersive virtual experiences contained in its award-winning digital services Discovery Education Streaming Plus and Discovery Education Science Techbook, Discovery Education will engage students in the important topics of biodiversity, ocean conservation and sharks.

For 30 years, SHARK WEEK has dominated ratings and shows no signs of slowing down. Last year, Discovery was cable’s #1 network in Prime during SHARK WEEK across all 25-54s, all 18-49s, all 18-34s and SHARK WEEK programming reached 35.1M P2+ and 16.0M P25-54 in Total Day. Phelps vs. Shark: Great Gold vs. Great White on opening night of SHARK WEEK 2017 became Discovery’s highest-rated SHARK WEEK telecast ever across P25-54, W25-54, and W18-49 and Phelps vs. Shark was the #1 unscripted telecast on all of cable during SHARK WEEK across all 25-54s, P/M18-49, M18-34, and P2+ (5.20M)**.

Discovery has lined up an incredible roster of merchandising including top co-brands such as SWEDISH FISH candy by Mondelēz International, Build-a-Bear, and vineyard vines, as well as multiple categories of product including food, toys, and tech products. In collaboration with Discovery, vineyard vines will be offering a line of more than 40 exclusive Shark Week products including apparel, neckties, headwear, swimwear, towels, beach totes, and drinkware. Build-A-Bear will offer two exclusive Shark Week furry friends, a Make-Your-Own Great White plush and a Make-Your-Own Hammerhead plush—plus, coordinating clothing options, including two Tank Top and Board Short sets and a Shark Week Hoodie. SWEDISH FISH candy, the official candy sponsor of Shark Week, has partnered with Discovery on a 360 partnership reaching fans in-stores, traditional spots, sweepstakes and a new mobile game, SWEDISH FISH CHOMPED.

Walmart is also on board as a premier Shark Week retailer, bringing shoppers and families closer than ever to Shark Week 30^th Anniversary this year, through an eye-catching in-store pallet train jam packed with “jawsome” products that will surprise and delight fans of all ages while reminding them to get the family together to tune in.. As part of its Discovery at SEA Program in partnership with Discovery™, Princess Cruises will celebrate an entire summer of Shark Week with a variety of events, promotions, themed culinary offerings and exclusive on-board festivities all surrounding Shark Week on seven ships sailing into Alaska, the Caribbean and the British Isles.

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Content Source: ©2018 Discovery Channel. All Rights Reserved.

———— Posted May 24, 2018 ————

SHARK WEEK BRINGS SHARK N’ AWE FOR THE 30^TH ANNIVERSARY PREMIERING SUNDAY, JULY 22 ON DISCOVERY

Shark Week 2018 will feature over 19 hours of programming packed with an all-star lineup of celebrities and new, groundbreaking scientific discoveries

(Los Angeles) – SHARK WEEK dives deeper than ever before when television’s longest-running and most anticipated summer event returns for its 30^th anniversary on Sunday, July 22 and continues through Sunday, July 29. After three decades and hundreds of shows, SHARK WEEK 2018 celebrates this milestone with all-new jaw-dropping shark stories that take viewers to unexplored locations and give them extensive insight into the mysterious world of sharks.

SHARK WEEK’s 30^th anniversary brings the shark n’ awe with a packed celebrity line-up and unprecedented access to some of the most exotic places in the world. In addition to our team of renowned shark experts and scientists, all-star athletes and the Sharks from ABC’s Shark Tank are joining the fintastic celebration this year including Ronda Rousey, Aaron Rodgers, Rob Gronkowski, Lindsey Vonn, Mark Cuban, Barbara Corcoran, Kevin O’Leary, Daymond John, and Bear Grylls.

This year, Discovery Channel is working with nearly two dozen of the world’s most respected marine biologists and science institutions to bring brand-new, groundbreaking shark research technology and compelling insight on some of the most unique shark species in the world. From using improved Shark Cam technology to investigate the private lives of bull, and hammerhead sharks to searching for gigantic sharks in Cuban waters that were previously closed to outsiders, SHARK WEEK 2018 delivers brand-new innovative shark stories that will once again take viewers to places cameras have never been before.

Highlights from SHARK WEEK’s 30th anniversary include:

Shark Tank Meets Shark Week
For the very first time, Shark Week brings together two of the most dynamic franchises on television in a shark vs. shark matchup to create Shark Tank Meets Shark Week. This time, there’s a $50,000 donation on the line for a desperately needed shark-saving cause. In true Shark Tank style, Barbara Corcoran, Mark Cuban, Daymond John, and Kevin O’Leary get out of the tank and into the water. The Sharks are each paired with an oceanic organization to uncover the issues they’re facing and they’ll discover threats of habitat destruction, overfishing, bycatch and more. Armed with new knowledge and a life changing experience, for the big finale our Sharks return to the Shark Tank studio and are joined by fellow Shark, Robert Herjavec to pitch each other why their organization deserves the big prize. Then, in the ultimate Shark showdown, each Shark will cast their vote for the organization they think is the most deserving (they can’t vote for their own). Produced by Radley Studios.

Cuba’s Secret Shark Lair
In 1945, one of the largest sharks ever recorded was captured in Cuban waters. This Great White was named ‘El Monstruo’, but sightings of huge sharks around Cuba didn’t end there. The phenomenon of massive sharks around Cuba puzzled scientists, but for years the island nation has been closed off to outsiders. Now, two teams of researchers have finally been granted permission to delve into the mystery of Cuba’s gigantic sharks. To the south, a team looks for a massive Great Hammerhead known as ‘The Queen’. And off Cuba’s north shore, the hunt is on for another ‘El Monstruo’-sized Great White! Produced by ITV.

Uncaged: Shark vs Ronda Rousey
Olympian, MMA champion and current WWE Superstar Ronda Rousey is trained by shark conservationist and shark attack survivor, Paul de Gelder, to face her fiercest opponent yet: the fastest, bitiest shark in the world, and the ultimate fighter of the sea, the Mako shark. First, Rousey, in a cage, dives into the ring with several lightweight shark species in the waters off Fiji and then moves onto the main event in New Zealand where she’ll “free dive uncaged” with the heavyweight Mako shark. Ronda is out to prove that harnessing the fighting spirit she has developed throughout her career, she and everyone watching, can confront their greatest fears and be victorious in the face of those doubts. Produced by Propagate Content.

Great White Abyss
The deeper you dive the bigger the sharks? A team of experts go to great white hotspot Guadalupe Island to look for the biggest sharks of their kind. Once before, a 20-foot female named Deep Blue showed herself, then disappeared into the deep. Is that where all the giant sharks live? Dr. Mauricio Hoyos thinks so. In a combination of deep-water cage and submarine dives, Dr. Hoyos and expert shark diver Jimi Partington, plus Andy Casagrande go looking for big, bigger – the biggest sharks in the deep water around Guadalupe. Produced by Anomaly Entertainment.

Monster Tag (w/t)
Top athletes including Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, Olympic Champion Lindsey Vonn and New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski will join forces with top shark scientists to learn crucial information about the ocean’s top predators. Shark populations are in trouble worldwide, but a daring collection of dedicated shark researchers are using the latest satellite technology to try and save them. If researchers can use satellite wildlife tags to figure out where sharks feed, mate, and birth their pups, the information will be critical to conserving the species. Produced by Propagate Content.

Jaws In Paradise
Shark Cam is back and with smaller tags, Dr. Greg Skomal and the Woods Hole team go to the Bahamas to investigate the private lives of bull, and hammerhead sharks, guided by Doc Gruber and Dr. Tristan Guttridge of the Bimini Shark Lab. In the past, Shark Cam has revealed fascinating new behaviors of white sharks – what new things will the team discover about the hunting techniques of these other fierce species? Produced by Big Wave.

Bear vs Shark
Back on Discovery for the 30th anniversary of Shark Week, Bear Grylls has survived the most extreme environments, from the frozen peaks of Everest to blazing sands of the Sahara Desert, but what will happen when he goes head to head with sharks when they have the home field advantage? It will be his greatest test of wits and skill as the ultimate survivor faces off with the ocean’s apex predator: Bear versus Shark. Produced by Electus.

Air Jaws: The Hunted
In 2017, five full grown Great White sharks washed up dead on beaches in South Africa. The necropsy revealed they were eaten alive. What is the only massive sea predator that has the ability to capture, kill and devour a group of 15-foot, 3,000-pound Great White sharks? Orcas. Leading the case is Shark Biologist Alison Towner, searching for the killers in these grisly crimes and sleuthing for the answer everyone is asking: will they attack again? On her journey, Alison locates two Orcas, named Port and Starboard, easily identifiable by their drooping dorsal fins and she determines how they could be the attackers. In one of the most gripping stories of survival, Alison teams up with conservationist Chris Fallows and filmmakers Jeff Kurr and Andy Casagrande to find out how these Great Whites are being wiped out and what can be done to save them. Produced by Original Content Group and Shark Entertainment.

Sharkwrecked
Every year more than 450 boats sink in US waters and 8 out of 10 of these are small leisure craft and fishing vessels. Survivors plunge into deep water, often with no life vest, food or fresh water. Throw hungry sharks in the mix and suddenly there’s a real and immediate life-threatening challenge. In a 48-hour adrenaline-fueled and daring experiment, shark attack survivor Paul de Gelder joins forces with fellow serviceman and marine survival expert, James Glancy to record what happens when a shipwreck occurs in shark infested waters. Scientists Greg Skomal and Edd Brooks track the sharks that circle our survivors, while Medic Mike Hudson and his team gauge their health and safety as their bodies deteriorate in the water over the 48-hour timeframe. Which sharks are attracted to humans in distress? We’ll answer this and the most important question: what gets you first, the sea or the sharks? Produced by Big Wave.

Tiger Shark Invasion
An invasive species is turning one of the world’s oldest marine ecosystems upside down. Dr. Neil Hammerschlag leads a team, including cameraman Joe Romeiro and local expert Alex Ahearn, to the Galapagos to observe and document how tiger sharks – new to the islands in the last 10 years – have re-set the underwater order in one of the sharkiest places on the planet. Produced by Radley Studios.

Get Out Alive (w/t)
Shark attacks are on the rise but are these attacks the result of the shark’s behavior or our own? Our team of expert divers Liz Parkinson, Mike Dornellas and Nick LeBeouf and professional cameraman Andy Casagrande put this theory to the test. By reenacting five harrowing real-life encounters and putting their own lives on the line. The most daring shark experiments ever attempted helping uncover the keys to survive. Produced by Lucky 8.

Son of Jaws (w/t)
Over four decades ago, giant great white sharks off Long Island, NY gave rise to the legend of JAWS. But all those big sharks were caught, killed and disappeared – until now. With protection, the sons and daughters of Jaws are making a comeback. Dr. Craig O’Connell goes looking for the legendary monsters of Montauk to see if the bloodline of Jaws continues. Produced by Pangolin Pictures.

Great White Mama (w/t)
They’re big, they’re angry, and they’re pregnant! These large great white females migrate to Guadalupe for one last big feed of seals before they go off to have their pups. But where do they go? Dr. Mauricio Hoyos believes they head to the coast of Baja because local fishermen report catching many great white pups there. Dr. Hoyos and his all-female science team of Michelle Jewell and Toby Daly- Engel will track the sharks to Baja, use genetics to identify which pups belong to which females, and confirm a birthing ground to be protected. Produced by Northern Pictures.

SHARK WEEK 2018 is packed with over 19 hours of shark programming with additional details to come.

For 30 years, SHARK WEEK has dominated ratings and shows no signs of slowing down. Last year, Discovery was cable’s #1 network in Prime during SHARK WEEK across all 25-54s, all 18-49s, all 18-34s and SHARK WEEK programming reached 35.1M P2+ and 16.0M P25-54 in Total Day. Phelps vs. Shark: Great Gold vs. Great White on opening night of SHARK WEEK 2017 became Discovery’s highest-rated SHARK WEEK telecast ever across P25-54, W25-54, and W18-49 and Phelps vs. Shark was the #1 unscripted telecast on all of cable during SHARK WEEK across all 25-54s, P/M18-49, M18-34, and P2+ (5.20M)**.

**Source: The Nielsen Company, Live+3 coverage area data. Ranks based on 000s, “best ever” stories based on ratings. Network rankers use TP data, all other stats are program-based, starts within, no exclusions. Reach is 6a-6a, 6-min. qualifier, 7/23-7/30, excl. non-Shark themed telecasts. Cable TC ranks use 6a-6a, excl. pay cable breaks.