John Cena dives in to host Discovery’s 2024 edition of Shark Week
It’s been more than 35 years since Discovery came upon the magical ratings combination of sharks and summertime — just add water and the result is Shark Week, an annual salute to the ocean’s most fearsome predator.
For the 2024 edition, Discovery has enlisted John Cena as host, along with a whole whack of new programming guaranteed to make you think twice before dipping your toe into even the most benign body of water.
Here’s a look at what this year’s Shark Week will bring (see listings for times and dates):
BELLY OF THE BEAST: BIGGER AND BLOODIER: Marine biologist Dr. Austin Gallagher and his fearless team deploy a 29-foot whale decoy to attract and study massive great whites in New Zealand, with viewers witnessing the feeding frenzy as they uncover dominant females ruling male-dominated clans.
JAWS VS. LEVIATHAN: Orcas and other toothed whales have been attacking great whites in record numbers, marking the latest chapter in a 60-million-year battle between sharks and whales. This rivalry began with the Leviathan, a prehistoric whale that once went tooth to tooth with the greatest predator to ever swim the oceans, the prehistoric Megalodon, and this special recreates those epic battles.
MAKOZILLA: A wave of savage assaults against the sea lion population off California’s coast has sparked fears of a monstrous predator dubbed “Makozilla.” Recent discoveries, including a 600-pound mauled sea lion with massive gashes, hint that a 16-foot-long predator could be responsible.
SYDNEY HARBOR SHARK INVASION: Returning to the site of his own 2009 shark attack for the first time, Paul de Gelder joins Madison Stewart to investigate a recent great white attack that occurred near Sydney Harbor, Australia — the first fatal incident in the region in almost 60 years.
SHARK FRENZY: MATING GAMES: Dr. Craig O’Connell explores the love lives of oceanic white tips and tiger sharks, suggesting that feeding frenzies spark romance vital for those species’ survival.
GREAT WHITE SERIAL KILLER: SEA OF BLOOD: After three fatal great white shark attacks occurred off a small Mexican fishing village – including one in which a victim was decapitated — shark attack survivor Paul De Gelder joins shark investigator Brandon McMillan and local biologist Gador Mutaner to launch a plan to ID the killers and keep the villagers in the Sea of Cortez safe.
DEADLIEST BITE: Using cutting edge technology, this special unveils the secrets behind jaw mechanics of various shark species, delving into how these sharks’ jaws and teeth deliver lethal attacks.
6,000 LB. SHARK: Marine Biologists Tom Hird and Leigh de Necker go searching for the fattest great white sharks off the coast of New Zealand and attempt to obtain their poop to study what they’ve been eating. Using cutting-edge science, they aim to weigh a great white accurately for the first time, revealing if they can reach a staggering 6,000 pounds.
MONSTER HAMMERHEADS: SPECIES X: This special investigates an aggressive population of hammerhead sharks in Turks and Caicos, which could be an entirely new species.
GREAT WHITE NORTH: There’s a growing population of aggressive white sharks in an unlikely location: Canada. Shark expert Andy Casagrande heads out on an expedition along Nova Scotia’s coast to investigate a surge of great white shark encounters and figure out if this new population could be the largest in the world.
EXPEDITION UNKNOWN: SHARKS VS. NAZIS IN PARADISE: Adventurer Josh Gates braves shark-infested waters off the Florida coast to search for a lost wreck sunk by a Nazi U-boat during World War II.
ALIEN SHARKS: GHOSTS OF JAPAN: Japan’s waters are home to the largest diversity of shark species on the planet, most of which take otherworldly forms. Wildlife biologist Forrest Galante, along with deep-sea marine scientist Christina de Silva and deep-water surveyors, track down and study these alien sharks.
MONSTER OF OZ: In southwestern Australia, an unknown predator with a taste for great white and mako sharks ignites fears of sea monsters in the abyss. Filmmakers Dave and Jennene Riggs join Dr. Tristan Guttridge and Rosie Moore in an attempt to track down the killer.
CAUGHT! WHEN SHARKS ATTACK: Researchers are witnessing an unusual amount of shark aggression and attacks. A team of experts analyzes the most intense shark encounters caught on camera, unveiling mysterious new behaviours.
GREAT WHITE DANGER ZONE: Alison Towner and her team investigate a new great white hotspot off the coast of South Africa. Equipped with cutting-edge fin cameras, tracking tags and underwater surveillance, researchers unveil unusual behaviour in these massive apex predators.
THE REAL SHARKANO: Researchers visit an ultra-remote island of shark-worshipping natives to see if their secret ways of swimming with deadly sharks may hold the secret to humans and sharks living together in peace.
SHARK ATTACK ISLAND: A South Pacific paradise has become a shark attack hot spot with bull, tiger and great white sharks moving closer to resort beaches, fatally attacking seven people in the last five years, and this special strives to identify the species responsible and find out why they are attacking.
Shark Week, airing Sunday-Friday, Discovery