National Geographic is bringing back its annual summer event Sharkfest for a fourteenth incredible year. The highly anticipated programming combines jaw dropping encounters with groundbreaking science and expert led storytelling. Viewers will discover new insights into the behavior, power, and conservation of one of the most fascinating predators in the ocean.
Kickoff and Premiere Details
The shark infested celebration officially begins on July 5 with Hammerhead Sharks Up Close With Bertie Gregory. The special streams on Disney+ and Hulu, and airs on the National Geographic channel at 9/8c. The program follows Emmy and BAFTA winning cinematographer and National Geographic Explorer Bertie Gregory as he dives into the Pacific waters of Mexico. Gregory aims to discover how protected seas can deliver a spectacle of the unmistakable hammerhead shark.
Expanded Programming Across Platforms
Additional fantastic programming will roll out throughout the month across Nat Geo WILD, Nat Geo Mundo, Disney Channel, and Disney XD. Select titles will also stream on Disney+ and Hulu. Sharkfest content will be available on video on demand while select programming drops all month long across various YouTube channels including Nat Geo, Nat Geo Animals, Nat Geo en Espanol, and Nat Geo Kids.
Sharkfest Summer Lineup Highlights
- Hammerhead Sharks Up Close With Bertie Gregory In the Pacific waters of Mexico, Bertie Gregory searches for the iconic hammerhead shark. Once abundant, hammerhead populations have plummeted, making sightings extremely rare. Gregory joins leading scientists and local experts to investigate what is driving the decline and how protected waters offer genuine hope.
- Worlds Biggest Mako A dedicated team of scientists and a cinematographer search the waters north of New Zealand to find giant mako sharks. With the help of a local fisherman, they encounter a series of massive makos. While endangered elsewhere, the team discovers a local population that might be making a remarkable comeback.
- Attack of the Samurai Sharks A three thousand year old cold case could represent the earliest known victim of a shark attack. A skeleton found in Japan is covered in unusually deep cut marks that resemble wounds from a frenzied samurai sword attack. Shark experts Alyssa White, Gavin Naylor, Kirin Sekito, and Masato Nakatsukasa investigate which species of shark stands as the prime suspect.
- Shark vs Giant Croc Shark experts Nico Lubitz and Adam Barnett head to northeastern Australia to investigate reports of bull sharks and saltwater crocodiles clashing along the Daintree River. The team risks everything by attempting to attach a camera to the back of a large territorial crocodile to determine the ultimate apex predator.
- Shark Island Showdown At remote Norfolk Island in the South Pacific, experts Lauren Meyer, Adam Barnett, and Charlie Huveneers investigate why tiger, dusky, and Galapagos sharks gather in such massive numbers. Through daring dives and tracking technology, the team uncovers hidden nurseries and a rare predator hotspot.
- Sharks: Reef Rivals On a remote island in the Great Barrier Reef of Australia, scientists investigate why huge numbers of sharks gather in a single dangerous lagoon. As changing tides transform the environment, various predators including lemon and tiger sharks battle for survival driven by shifting hunting opportunities.
- Great White Gauntlet Off the remote Greenly Island in Australia, shark experts Lauren Meyer, Charlie Huveneers, and Adam Barnett investigate reports of unusually high great white activity around a thriving seal colony. Battling brutal seas and unpredictable weather, the dedicated team races to tag a white shark with an onboard camera to uncover their hunting secrets.