National Geographic’s SHARKFEST offers the most authentic and comprehensive shark-viewing experience ever. You can enjoy 72 hours of programming beginning on July 2 on National Geographic, Nat Geo WILD, Nat Geo MUNDO, Disney+, Hulu and ESPN2. The programming will take viewers up close and personal with the ocean’s apex predator. Check out the trailer below.
With cutting-edge technology and industry-leading experts, SHARKFEST will entertain viewers with four weeks of shark programming that showcases the captivating science, power, and beauty of these magnificent animals. The programming includes over 22 hours of original content and over 50 hours of enhanced content, allowing viewers to dive deep into the unpredictable psyche of sharks. There won’t be any celebrity distractions.
SHARKFEST will explore the waters across the nation, from Cape Cod and Florida to Hawaii and New York, and around the world in Australia, the Bahamas, Canada, Indonesia, South Africa, the U.K., and more for a global underwater adventure.
Expanding beyond National Geographic, SHARKFEST will be across all waters this summer and available for all generations to enjoy, including the following:
- Disney+ and HULU will stream every SHARKFEST premiere as they roll out over the course of the month-long, jaw-dropping programming event.
- ABC Owned Television Stations’ appetite for action will be filled with some of the most fin-tastic content from the past year, airing across key linear and streaming platforms throughout July.
- The Nat Geo TV App and ABC App will celebrate the must-sea summer event with a SHARKFEST collection page, along with a FAST pop-up channel, available June 15, that will feature episodes from previous years of SHARKFEST.
- Disney Channel will make waves with kid-centric shark content from Saturday, July 8, through Sunday, July 9.
- Disney XD will feature 10 hours of shark-themed content from Monday, July 3, through Friday, July 7.
- Disney Junior will air shark-themed programming with preschool-friendly messaging from Monday, July 3, through Sunday, July 9.
- DisneyNOW will have shark-themed content on its homepage all month long through August.
- Disney Channel, Disney XD, Disney Junior and Nat Geo Kids’ YouTube channels will all have new shark-themed shorts beginning Monday, July 3.
- National Geographic’s SHARKFEST hub, natgeo.com/sharkfest, will be updated throughout the summer to include enhanced content about sharks, including facts, photos and videos, quizzes and more, providing audiences with a better understanding of the ocean’s most misunderstood predator. For kids and their families, the National Geographic Kids YouTube channel will feature a Sharkfest playlist, in addition to shark-related content featured on the Kids website throughout the month of July.
National Geographic’s SHARKFEST is partnering with Minorities in Shark Sciences (MISS) to promote diversity and inclusion in shark sciences and inspire the next generation of scientists. The collaboration will feature new and familiar MISS experts in this year’s programming as on-screen talents and consultants for the series’ development.
Other featured shark experts include the following:
- Candace Fields (MISS), a Ph.D. student studying the population dynamics and geographic population structure of large predators
- Dr. Frances Farabaugh, a Ph.D. student focusing on the ecology of marine predators and the role sharks play in structuring reef communities
- Dr. Greg Skomal, an accomplished marine biologist, underwater explorer, photographer and author who currently heads up the Massachusetts Shark Research Program
- Dr. Mike Heithaus, the executive dean of the College of Arts, Sciences & Education (CASE) and professor in the department of biological sciences at Florida International University (FIU)
- Dr. Ryan Johnson, a marine biologist and world-famous documentary host
- Dr. Valeria Paz, a dolphin biologist focusing on top predator and community ecology
- Dr. Yannis Papastamatiou, an associate professor at FIU in the department of biological sciences, who has made big strides in the shark research community
- Gibbs Kuguru, a Kenyan shark scientist who works with great whites and studies the DNA of sharks
- Melissa Cristina Marquez, a Puerto Rican marine biologist and science communicator studying chondrichthyan fishes, such as great white sharks
- Megan Winton, a research scientist and a Ph.D. candidate where her research has focused on understanding shark and sea turtle populations in the northwest Atlantic
- Davon Strickland (MISS), the captain of the FIU football team and also part of the next generation of marine biologists joining Dr. Mike Heithaus’ lab as a Ph.D. candidate
- A-bel Gong (MISS), a behavioral ecologist studying sharks and a co-host of the podcast “LGBTQ+ STEM,” which highlights LGBTQ+ voices in the sciences
- Johan Gustafson, Australian expedition leader, marine ecologist and shark expert specializing in shark behavior, movement and environmental interactions; while using the latest tagging technologies, Johan’s research has been used to track Australia’s various shark species for nearly 10 years
- Dr. Mariel Familiar López, a wildlife biologist in both marine and terrestrial environments and an experienced science communicator; originally from Mexico City, Mariel’s research has helped to combat the devastating chytridiomycosis, an amphibian fungal infectious disease resulting in the global mass decline and extinction of amphibians worldwide
No-fin compares to National Geographic’s SHARKFEST, the go-to destination for advancement, scientific experts and incredible shark discoveries. This year’s shark-infested lineup includes:
BULL SHARK BANDITS – Premieres July 2 at 8/7c on National Geographic, July 7 at 10/9c on ESPN2, July 24 at 10/9c on Nat Geo WILD, and July 2 on Disney+ and HULU
Shark biologists Dr. Johan Gustafson and Dr. Mariel Familiar López investigate increasing reports of bull sharks stealing from fishermen in Weipa, northern Australia. Could this methodical and radical shift in behavior provide new evidence of shark intelligence? To find out, the team conducts cutting-edge experiments and uses a new prototype diving cage.
SHARK EAT SHARK – Premieres July 2 at 9/8c on National Geographic, July 26 at 10/9c on Nat Geo WILD, and July 2 on Disney+ and HULU
Around the world, reports of shark-on-shark attacks are increasing. Off South Africa’s dramatic southern coast, a new hotspot has emerged – a bay where white sharks hunt other sharks. Enrico Gennari and Lacey Williams lead a team of experts into the deep to capture conclusive evidence of sharks eating sharks.
SAVED FROM A SHARK – Premieres July 2 at 10/9c on National Geographic, July 27 at 8/7c on Nat Geo WILD, and July 2 on Disney+ and HULU
The scientific community is divided on whether dolphins or whales will deliberately save a person from a shark attack. But the people who have lived through these terrifying encounters don’t doubt what happened.
WHEN SHARKS ATTACK 360 (Six-Episode Series)
Premieres July 3 at 8/7c on National Geographic, with new episodes each night through July 11.
Also available on Nat Geo WILD on July 30 at 6/5c, and on Disney+ and HULU on July 2.
An international team of experts investigates why sharks bite humans. They hunt for clues and unravel the surprising threads that link these incidents. As evidence mounts, they analyze data in a cutting-edge VFX shark lab to understand in forensic detail why sharks attack.
RETURN OF THE WHITE SHARK
Premieres July 3 at 9/8c on National Geographic.
Also available on Nat Geo WILD on July 25 at 8/7c, and on Disney+ and HULU on July 2.
Hundreds of great white sharks have recently appeared on the doorstep of one of America’s most popular tourist destinations. They are hunting in ways never documented before. A team of scientists are studying this new phenomenon to try to understand why the sharks are here and what this means for Cape Cod. Are the sharks changing the natural ecosystem or restoring it?
BULL SHARK VS. HAMMERHEAD
Premieres July 3 at 10/9c on National Geographic.
Also available on ESPN2 on July 7 at 9/8c, Nat Geo WILD on July 28 at 9/8c, and on Disney+ and HULU on July 2.
In Florida, a rare event between top ocean predators was captured on video: bull sharks attacking a great hammerhead. Dr. Heithaus and a team of shark experts launch an investigation pinning one against the other. They put experiments to the test to see what happens when these top predators come head-to-head.
SHARK BELOW ZERO
Premiering on July 5th at 9/8c on National Geographic, and also available on Nat Geo WILD on July 24th at 8/7c, and on Disney+ and HULU on July 2nd.
White sharks have been sighted as far north as the coast of Newfoundland in Canada. After the first suspected white shark attack in Canada for over 150 years, experts Greg Skomal, Heather Bowlby, Megan Winton, and Warren Joyce investigate what drives the white sharks’ journey to the northernmost limit of their range.
SHARKANO: HAWAII
Premiering on July 5th at 10/9c on National Geographic, and also available on Nat Geo WILD on July 24th at 9/8c and 11/10c, and on Disney+ and HULU on July 2nd.
Biologists Dr. Mike Heithaus and Dr. Frances Farabaugh free dive with one of the most dangerous sharks, the tiger shark, to find out why sharks are drawn to Hawaii’s volcanoes.
WHEN SHARKS ATTACK…AND WHY (Eight-Episode Series)
Premiering on July 6th at 9/8c on National Geographic, with new episodes each night through July 12th, and also available on Nat Geo WILD on July 26th at 8/7c and 9/8c, and on Disney+ and HULU on July 2nd.
Shark attacks are becoming more unpredictable, occurring suddenly, in large numbers and in unexpected locations, puzzling locals and scientists alike. Experts investigate these mysterious incidents to discover what is affecting some of nature’s most feared fish.
SHARKS VS. DOLPHINS: BAHAMAS BATTLEGROUND
Premiering on July 10th at 10/9c on National Geographic, and also available on Nat Geo WILD on July 28th at 8/7c, and on Disney+ and HULU on July 2nd.
In the Bahamas, more than 30% of dolphins have shark-bite scars. With a never-before-seen non-toxic gel bite pad and life-sized dolphin decoy, Dr. Mike Heithaus and Dr. Valeria Paz collect bite impressions from three shark species that might be the predators. Bites from bull sharks, tiger sharks and great hammerheads, up to 14 feet long, are compared to scars photographed on dolphins.
