Tag Archives: sharks

Discovery HD “Shark Week” returns

Scaring swimmers and fascinating viewers for over a decade, Discovery Channel’s favourite summer theme week returns! Discovery Channel’s 12th annual Shark Week – airing Sun., July 29 to Fri., Aug 3 – offers six days of fascinating facts about sharks and the latest in shark behaviour, survivor stories and stunning underwater cinematography. And for wider jaws and even sharper teeth, dare to experience Shark Week in High Definition on Discovery HD! Discovery HD offers its own Shark Week lineup, Mon., July 30 to Fri., Aug. 3

Discovery Channel’s full Shark Week 2007 lineup follows:

“MythBusters: Jaws Special”

Sun., July 29 at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT (Encore Presentation)

Will punching a shark deter it? Can you use sharkskin as sandpaper? Are sharks really scared of their own image? Hosted by the mad scientists of “MythBusters,” Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman, this two-hour special sees the myth-busting duo planning, building and conducting experiments – with the help of respected shark experts – designed to determine the truth behind the public’s “accepted wisdom” about sharks.

“Ocean of Fear: Worst Shark Attack Ever”

Sun., July 29 at 9 p.m. ET/PT (Discovery Channel Premiere – repeats Wed., Aug. 1 at 8 p.m. ET/10 p.m. PT)

During the Second World War, the USS Indianapolis was struck by a torpedo which sunk the massive ship. In just 12 minutes, some 900 of the 1,200 crew were forced into the sea. Wounded and thirsty, the crew would endure the blazing heat of day and the frigid temperatures of night adrift in the Pacific. Many succumbed to exposure, but in the end, sharks claimed the lives of over 600 men.

"Maneating Sharks: The Truth”

Mon., July 30 at 8 p.m. ET/10 p.m. PT (Discovery Channel Premiere)

Are sharks really pack hunters like lions or wolves? Are they acquiring a taste for human flesh? Are attacks on the rise? In this one-hour special, discover the truth about so called man-eating sharks.

“Shark Family”

Tues., July 31 at 8 p.m. ET/10 p.m. PT (Discovery Channel Premiere)

This special follows three generations of the Ferreira family as they travel from their home in Cape Town and pitch camp on rugged Dyer Island – surrounded by Great Whites. Here, shark explorer Craig Ferreira puts his family through its paces with a series of shark experiments and personal challenges. Craig is joined by his father, Theo; his wife, Jytte; and their three sons, Storm, Cruise and Wilder – an untamed trio who love nothing better than exploring the natural world around them.

“Bull Shark: World’s Deadliest Shark”

Thurs., Aug 2 at 8 p.m. ET/10 p.m. PT (Encore Presentation)

The bull shark, at 2.5 metres of brawn and muscle, is one of the most aggressive animals on Earth. This one-hour special follows zoologist Nigel Marven on a journey across the globe to learn more about these incredible predators. Starting in the Bahamas, Marven meets shark scientist Erich Ritter waist-deep bull shark-infested waters. Ritter has stood among the sharks hundreds of times before, but on this day he is attacked and bitten on the leg as Marven stands next to him. Marvin sets out to investigate the bulls in the U.S., Australia, Cuba and finally back in Florida where he shares his research with his recovering colleague Ritter.

“I Shouldn’t Be Alive: Shark Survivor”

Fri., Aug 3 at 8 p.m. ET/10 p.m. PT (Encore Presentation)

This special shark-themed episode of “I Shouldn’t Be Alive,” grapples with a horrifying moral dilemma: Would you leave a crewmember to die to save yourself? A five-member crew – most of them strangers – set sail from Maine to deliver a luxury yacht in Florida. When a violent storm hits the expedition, the crew must take refuge in a life raft. Set adrift, bickering, injured and with no food or water, their ordeal is made even worse by the sharks, including Great Whites, who continue to circle their raft… Who among the five will survive, and who among them is the strongest to make fateful choices?

And for a lineup with even more bite, Discovery HD’s full Shark Week 2007 programming is as follows:

“Great White Shark: Uncaged”

Mon., July 30 at 7 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT (Encore Presentation)

In the world’s most shark-infested waters, an extreme team of divers attempts to swim with and photograph massive great white sharks without the protection of a cage. Marooned together for nine days off a remote island in Mexico, the divers must band together if they are to survive an open-water encounter with the great white. Led by Andre Hartman, a diver who admits he’s scared to death of the sharks; John McKenney, a cameraman who worries he may not return to his family; and Cat Gennaro, a feisty ex-model turned diver who won’t admit fear; the divers take turns in the water with up to six great white sharks at a time! This is shark programming as you’ve never seen, with no safety nets, no cages and real danger.

“The Blue Realm: Shark Business”

Tues., July 31 at 7 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT (Encore Presentation)

From South Africa to the Pacific coast of Canada, sharks are big business in a new “adrenaline” eco-tourism industry. This story explores many of the myths surrounding dangerous sharks and reveals how scuba divers have become unlikely allies in efforts to conserve the animals. “The Blue Realm: Shark Business” explores the opportunities and consequences of “shark tourism,” meets the advocates and conservationists that are working to preserve one of the oceans’ oldest species. This special also chronicles exciting new research into some of the sea’s most fascinating and maligned creatures – with some species in serious decline. Ancient and vital predators, sharks serve a crucial role in the ocean realm – and scuba divers have become an integral voice in efforts to conserve many of these endangered species.

“Catching a Killer: The Mystery of Sable Island”

Wed., Aug 1 at 7 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT (Encore Presentation)

Like every good mystery, this story starts with a body. In this case, hundreds of mutilated bodies washed up on the sandy shores of Sable Island, a tiny spit of land in the North Atlantic. A mysterious killer is lurking in the steely waters off the east coast of Canada. The corpses belong to grey seals, which gather by the thousands on the shores of Sable Island twice a year. The seals bear bizarre spiral wounds which have led to one theory that one of the most elusive of all sharks is responsible – the Greenland shark. With the help of scientists from the Canadian Shark Research Laboratory and the Apex Predator Program in the United States, “Catching A Killer: The Mystery Of Sable Island” tries to solve the puzzle of the dead seals once and for all. But it won’t be easy.

“Crocodile Hunter 5: Whale Sharks of the Wild West”

Thurs., Aug 2 at 7 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT (Discovery HD premiere)

Steve Irwin, his wife Terri and daughter Bindi set out on a luxury cruiser – to navigate the rugged coast of Western Australia. At the very start of their journey, the Irwin family has the unbelievable experience of swimming in the ocean with a wild pod of dolphins, as well as seals and sharks. Steve ventures ashore on an island known to be covered with venomous black tiger snakes. As their voyage continues, Steve dives on the ancient wreck of the Batavia and explores the island where her mutinous crew callously murdered their fellow sailors. After investigating the eerie weathered ruins of an old whaling station, Steve has the ultimate experience of swimming with the largest fish in the world – the whale shark.

“Sharks Under Glass”

Fri., Aug 3 at 7 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT (Discovery HD premiere)

Explore the latest shark programs at aquariums across the country. From the Shark Bay exhibit in Tampa, Florida, to the great white shark exhibit at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, research is yielding exciting information about these fearsome predators.