Fan-favourite actor, superhero, and conservationist, Jason Momoa, who is dedicated to protecting and preserving the world’s oceans, hosts the 35th year of Shark Week, Discovery’s iconic, week-long celebration and investigation of shark habits and behaviours. Airing day-and-date with the U.S., beginning Sunday, July 23 at 8 p.m., Momoa guides fans through nearly 20 hours of new programming, including BELLY OF THE BEAST: FEEDING FRENZY, which provides a first-time, close-up look at a great white shark feast, and COCAINE SHARKS, which reveals what happens to sharks that possibly feed on cocaine and other illegal drugs dumped in South Florida waters.
A highly anticipated programming event that drove more than 2.8 million hours of viewing on Discovery last year, Shark Week also spotlights innovative technology used to track and study unique shark species and their enemies. Showcasing the work of the world’s most respected marine biologists and science institutions, Shark Week 2023 also delves into mating and migration patterns, showing rare footage, as researchers follow the sharks to remote locations in South Africa and New Zealand.
Viewers can stream this year’s thrilling Shark Week programming on CTV.ca and the CTV app.
Here is what this year’s Discovery Shark Week lineup features:
Sunday, July 23
BELLY OF THE BEAST: FEEDING FRENZY – 8 p.m. ET
In a Shark Week first, researchers with cameras brave a great white shark feeding frenzy from inside a life-size whale decoy. Their findings could be the key to locating the biggest great white shark in South African history.
JAWS VS. THE MEG – 9 p.m. ET
The MEG, a massive shark measuring 50 feet long and weighing 60 tons, was once dreaded as the most fearsome predator that could devour a killer whale effortlessly. But new evidence suggests that its cousin, the great white shark, may have caused its extinction.
SERIAL KILLER: RED SEA FEEDING FRENZY – 10 p.m. ET
Shark attack investigator Brandon McMillan and cinematographer Fo Zayed travel to solve the mystery of what’s behind three, recent deadly shark attacks off of the posh beaches of Egypt’s Red Sea.
Monday, July 24
GREAT WHITE FIGHT CLUB – 8 p.m. ET
A team of experts venture into the treacherous waters of New Zealand to provide groundbreaking evidence that female white sharks unequivocally dominate the ocean, reigning as the ultimate controllers of its fierce battlegrounds.
MONSTERS OF THE BERMUDA TRIANGLE – 9 p.m. ET
A healthy, 10-foot pregnant Porbeagle shark vanishes in the Bermuda Triangle. The evidence suggests an unknown, monstrous predator could be to blame. Dr. James Sulikowski, and a team of scientists dive into the most mysterious part of the ocean to uncover the truth behind the attack.
ALIEN SHARKS: STRANGE NEW WORLDS – 10 p.m. ET
The tip of South Africa is a hotspot for unusual sharks that exhibit bizarre behaviours and unusual, otherworldly appearances. Wildlife biologist Forrest Galante explores stunning kelp forests and ocean depths never-before-seen by humans to study these extraordinary creatures.
Tuesday, July 25
MAKO MANIA: BATTLE FOR CALIFORNIA – 8 p.m. ET
Off the coast of Los Angeles, a new population of super makos challenge great whites for their hunting territories. Dr. Craig O’Connell, Fo Zayed, and Kendyl Berna deploy state-of-the-art technology to reveal their dominance, and unveil the mysteries that have transformed these makos into some of the fiercest predators in the oceans.
RAIDERS OF THE LOST SHARK – 9 p.m. ET
Shark expert Matt Dicken and Shark Week legend Dickie Chivell embark on a relentless quest to locate an elusive and colossal shark named Dutchess, who mysteriously vanished from Gansbaai, South Africa years ago.
MONSTER HAMMERHEADS: KILLER INSTINCT – 10 p.m. ET
Dr. Tristan Guttridge believes Hammerhead sharks can reach monster sizes by hunting other species of sharks. The only way to prove his theory is to obtain tissue samples from some of the largest sharks on the planet.
Wednesday, July 26
AIR JAWS: FINAL FRONTIER – 8 p.m. ET
Shark filmmakers hunt for “Air Jaws” in New Zealand’s hidden launch pad. Andy Casagrande and Jeff Kurr seek the second-ever breaching great white in these waters to uncover history-making secrets.
FLORIDA SHARK: BLOOD IN THE WATER – 9 p.m. ET
Paul de Gelder dives into Florida, known as the Shark Attack Capital of the World, to conduct experiments that aim to confirm what makes up these dangerous waters and determine methods to mitigate the risk.
COCAINE SHARKS – 10 p.m. ET
For decades, rumors of cocaine-fueled sharks have spread throughout the fishing community. Shark expert Tom Hird travels to the Florida Keys to investigate what happens when sharks come into contact with the most notorious drug on the planet.
Thursday, July 27
JAWS IN THE SHALLOWS – 8 p.m. ET
Shark Week veteran Dr. Riley Elliott has traveled all over to study great whites, which are now terrorizing the beaches of New Zealand. He sets out alongside his wife Amber Jones to find answers to protect his loved ones from the apex predators before it’s too late.
MONSTER MAKO: FRESH BLOOD – 9 p.m. ET
12-foot-long monster mako sharks compete head-to-head with great whites for prey off the coast of California. Using a custom clear, acrylic diving bell, Dr. Austin Gallagher and legendary free diver Andre Musgrove get up close with both predators and track makos breaching eight feet out of the ocean.
SHARK VS. SNAKE: THE BATTLE OF THE BITES – 10 p.m. ET
Tiger sharks are washing up dead on the beaches of Western Australia with no sign of attack. Forrest Galante has a theory that deadly sea snakes are turning these apex predators to prey. In the battle of shark against snake, are snakes winning?
Friday, July 28
TROPIC JAWS – 8 p.m. ET
When a 16-foot great white invades Indonesia’s warm coast of Bali, it sparks fears that they are adapting to hunt the tropical beaches where millions of people swim every day. Dr. Craig O’Connell and Madison Stewart are on a mission to find Tropic Jaws and discover why they left the cold water environment that they have called home for thousands of years.
DEADLY SHARKS OF PARADISE – 9 p.m. ET
Scientists in South America are studying the shark species thought to be responsible for a spike in deadly attacks since 1990. Marine biologist Danni Washington and shark conservationist Paul de Gelder join a team tracking tiger sharks off a pristine tropical archipelago in Brazil.
HAUNTING AT SHARK TOWER – 10 p.m. ET
News of a harrowing shark encounter at North Carolina’s Frying Pan Tower sends underwater cinematographer Andy Casagrande and shark expert Kori Burkhardt on a dangerous quest to discover whether great white sharks are moving into the state’s waters.
Saturday, July 29
DAWN OF THE MONSTER MAKO – 8 p.m. ET
A 14-foot giant mako shark is spotted in the waters of Portugal’s Azores region. Underwater cinematographer Joe Romeiro and his marine biologist wife, Lauren, search the teeming depths around the ancient islands to capture the beast on film.
MEGA SHARKS OF DANGEROUS REEF – 9 p.m. ET
The remote islands off the Eyre Peninsula in South Australia are believed to harbor some of the biggest white sharks on the planet. While local fishing reports suggest these giant sharks are still around, they are rarely seen.
SHARK WEEK: OFF THE HOOK – 10 p.m. ET
Dive into the biggest thrills and most terrifying moments from 35 years of Shark Week, celebrating behind the scenes of iconic moments and revealing never-before-seen footage of the fearless adventurers who get up close with the world’s scariest creatures.
Source: Numeris, BY21/22 (8/30/2021 to 8/28/2022), Summer (5/23/2022 to 9/11/2022), Reach and Hours Viewed among total viewers.
