by Thinus Ferreira
The TV waters are shark-infested as Discovery Channel and National Geographic compete with a duelling Shark Week and a Sharkfest in July.
Discovery Channel (DStv 121) has its Discovery Shark Week that kicks off Monday 15 July at 17:00, with three local shark experts - Zandile Ndhlovu, Leigh de Necker and Dr Alison Towner who appear across various episodes over the week.
Ndhlovu, known as The Black Mermaid, appears in Monster Hammerheads: Species X and Belly
of the Beast: Bigger and Bloodier, with De Necker who appears in 6000-LB. Shark. Towner is an expert who appears in Great White Danger Zone.
On Nat Geo WILD (DStv 182 / StarSat 221) the channel's Sharkfest starts on 20 July on weekends at 18:00, and runs until 28 August with shark-themed programming that will also be available on the streaming service Disney+.
DISCOVERY CHANNEL
Shark scientist Dr Alison Towner appears in Great White Danger Zone on Monday 15 July at 17:15 as her team investigates a new Great White hotspot off the South African coast, uncovering unusual behaviours in these predators.
"Southern African white sharks are currently a subject of intense mystery. Human activities and killer whale predation have drastically shifted their habitat use in this region," she explains.
"Great White Danger Zone investigates how white sharks are adapting to these changes at the southern tip of Africa."
Zandile Ndhlovu appears on Tuesday 16 July at 18:10 as she dives with Dr Austin Gallagher in the Turks and Caicos, investigating a potentially new species of aggressive Hammerhead sharks in Monster Hammerheads: Species X.
"Joining Monster
Hammerheads: Species X was an incredible opportunity to combine my
passion for freediving and showcasing the beauty and diversity of sharks,"
says Zandile Ndhlovu, South Africa's first black female freediving instructor and
founder of the Black Mermaid Foundation.
She also joins Dr Gallagher’s team in Belly of the Beast:
Bigger and Bloodier on Sunday 21 July at 17:15 where they
study massive great whites in New Zealand.
In 6000-LB. Shark on Saturday 20 July at 18:10, the marine biologist Leigh de Necker teams up with Tom "The Blowfish" Hird to
track down massive Great White Sharks off the coast of New Zealand.
"Filming
6000-LB Shark for Discovery Shark Week 2024 in New Zealand was truly
one of the most exhilarating experiences of my life," she says.
"To
witness these magnificent creatures in their element, surrounded by five, six,
even seven at a time, was awe-inspiring. These weren't just any sharks - we're talking chunky animals between 3.5 and 5.5 meters in size! My marine biologist
brain was in overdrive! Why were there so many sharks? Why were some so large?
What were they feeding on? Could any be our South African sharks?"
Other Discovery Shark Week programming this week include:
Deadliest Bite, Tuesday 16 July 17:15
A group of
shark experts set out to discover which shark species has the deadliest bite.
Using bite force meters, biomedical imaging, and a cutting-edge super
slow-motion camera rig, they'll document and analyse shark bites like never
before.
Great White Serial Killer: Sea of Blood, Wednesday 17 July 17:15
After fatal shark attacks in 2022 and 2023 off the shore of a Mexican fishing
village, shark attack survivor Paul De Gelder joins shark investigator Brandon
McMillan to work with locals to identify the killers and help prevent future attacks
from happening.
Alien Sharks: Ghost of Japan, Thursday 18 July 17:15
Wildlife
biologist Forrest Galante explores the alien world of Japan's oceans. Teaming
up with deep-sea shark expert Christina de Silva, they search for the extremely
rare Japanese angelshark, the "ghost of the sea".
Jaws vs. Leviathan, Friday 19
July 17:15
In
New Zealand, a clash of titans is about to erupt: the Great White versus a massive leviathan. Dr Tristan Guttridge and Kina Scollay simulate epic battles
and study orca tactics to discover the ultimate predator.
Sharks of the Dead Zone, Saturday,
20 July 17:15
Dr Tiara Moore has discovered bull sharks thriving in polluted, algae-filled
lagoons. Teaming up with Dr Craig O'Connell, they study why pregnant females
still migrate there and how their pups survive in a seemingly hostile environment.
Shark Attack Island, Sunday 21
July 18:10
A South
Pacific paradise has become a shark attack hot spot with Bull, Tiger and Great
White sharks moving closer and closer to resort beaches. Seven people have been
killed in just the last five years, some in knee-deep water only steps from the
sand.
NAT GEO WILD
National Geographic's latest Sharkfest will run over four weeks on the Nat Geo WILD channel, with 26 hours of shark programming.
Some of the shark programming include:
Shark Beach with Anthony Mackie: Gulf
Coast, Saturday 20 July 18:00
Anthony Mackie returns to his hometown of New Orleans in this hour-long special where he investigates a
fishing phenomenon called depredation, in which a shark preys upon a
fisherman's catch and consumes it before it can be retrieved.
Shark Attack 360, Sunday 21 July 18:00 (ends 25 August)
Eight hourlong episodes. Nat Geo Explorer and Marine Biologist Dr Diva Amon leads a team of scientists to uncover new facts about shark attack cases with the help of real-world experiments and a state-of-the-art immersive lab to bring us closer to sharks than ever before.
Baby Sharks in the City, Saturday 27 July 18:00
Shark biologists have discovered a nursery of Atlantic
great whites right off the coast of New York City. Watch as they deploy a
state-of-the-art camera tag to reveal the secret life of the baby great white
for the first time in these Atlantic waters.
Sharks Gone Viral, Saturday 3 August 18:00
It's a social media feed frenzy as
comedians Helen Hong, Keon Polee and the Sklar Brothers deep dive into the
internet’s wildest shark videos - from lightning-fast shark attacks to sharks
living on a golf course - while a panel of experts explore the science behind
social media's most influential fish.
Supersized Sharks, Saturday 10 August 18:00
Norfolk Island off the Australian coast is home to some of the largest tiger sharks in the world. For the first time, scientists are diving in to answer why there are so many
huge tigers there. Shark biologists Lauren Meyers, Charlie Huveneers and Adam
Barnett lure the giants to their boat to investigate and make a surprising
discovery.
Attack of the Red Sea Sharks, Saturday 17
August 18:00
This special investigates why sharks killed three people
in less than a year in the coastal waters of Red Sea resorts. Multiple
witnesses captured the gruesome attacks, with the videos quickly going viral,
sparking confusion and hysteria. Are these attacks part of a growing trend that
is becoming more common worldwide?
Shark vs Ross Edgley, Saturday 24 August 18:00
Swimmer and shark advocate Ross Edgley
faces his greatest challenge yet as he attempts to pit his mind and body
against the most formidable predator in the ocean. Testing the limits
of his speed, strength, hydrodynamics and endurance, Ross will push his body to
its extremes to understand what makes sharks such incredible and versatile
predators.
