Tracy Morgan's character on "30 Rock" may have encouraged people to "live every week like it's Shark Week," but the actual Shark Week comes along only once a year. The 36th annual Shark Week event on the Discovery Channel (and streaming on corporate sibling Max) features 21 hours of new sharktastic programming, hosted by actor and pro wrestler John Cena, star of Max's popular DC show "Peacemaker".
As always, Shark Week features a mix of educational and entertaining programming, with pop-culture angles on various aspects of shark life and behavior. While Godzilla has stomped through theaters in two hit movies in the past year, Shark Week will explore "Makozilla," a supposed super-predator stalking the coast of California.
Shark Week also loves pitting sharks against other creatures, and after last year's imagined battle between a great white shark and the ancient creature known as the Meg, this year brings "Jaws vs Leviathan," speculating about what would happen in a showdown between great white sharks and fearsome prehistoric whales.
On the slightly more educational front, Shark Week returns to last year's hit "Belly of the Beast" with "Belly of the Beast: Bigger and Bloodier," following scientists inside a giant whale decoy to witness a heightened shark feeding frenzy.
All that and more is featured in Shark Week 2024. Here's how you can devour all of this year's programming in one massive bite. But let's start with the Shark Week preview trailer...
How to watch Shark Week from anywhere on Earth
Neither the Discovery Channel nor Max is available in every country around the world, but that doesn't mean you have to miss a minute of Shark Week action. With the right VPN (virtual private network), you can stream the show from anywhere you might be.
Not sure which VPN is right for you? We've tested many different services and our pick for the best VPN overall is NordVPN. NordVPN offers superb speeds and excellent security features and is great at unblocking streaming services anywhere.
How to watch Shark Week in the US
In the U.S., Shark Week begins at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Sunday, July 7. Programs will premiere each night starting at 8 p.m. on Discovery and will be available to stream the same day on Max.
There's no official word on fellow streaming service Discovery Plus, but Shark Week content will likely be available to stream there as well, along with all of Discovery's other programming. The full Shark Week schedule is listed below.
Discovery is available on Sling TV (one of the best streaming services and best cable TV alternatives) with the Sling Blue package ($45 per month).
Discovery is also available on all major live TV streaming services, including YouTube TV, Hulu with Live TV, Fubo TV and DirecTV Stream.
Can you watch Shark Week in Canada and the UK?
Shark Week airs on Discovery Canada beginning July 7, just as it does in the U.S. Discovery Plus is also available in Canada, and Shark Week programming may stream there as well.
Discovery Plus is also available in the U.K., but there hasn't been any official word about Shark Week programming there or on the U.K. Discovery Channel.
Max is unavailable in Canada or the U.K., but NordVPN can help you access any services you already pay for when traveling.
Can you watch Shark Week in Australia?
While Max is also unavailable in Australia, Discovery Channel is part of multiple cable packages down under and streams on Foxtel Go.
Not every Shark Week program may be included on Discovery in Australia, so to access Max or Discovery if you're a U.S., subscriber, NordVPN has you covered.
Shark Week 2024 schedule
Shark Week programming will air on the Discovery Channel and be available to stream the same day on Max.
Here is the full Shark Week schedule. All times listed are both Eastern and Pacific.
Sunday, July 7
Synopses provided by Discovery
- 8 p.m. ET/PT: Belly of the Beast: Bigger and Bloodier
One of last year’s most popular Shark Week shows returns. Marine biologist Dr. Austin Gallagher, marine scientist Liv Dixon, and legendary cameraman Kina Scollay travel to a new location and head back into the belly of a 29-foot whale decoy with new shark attractant features to create the biggest feeding frenzy ever with 18-foot 'Breeder' sharks in New Zealand. - 9 p.m. ET/PT: Jaws vs Leviathan
Orcas and other toothed whales are 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 Meg. Now, Dr. Tristan Guttridge, Dr. Sona Kim, and Kina Scollay recreate these epic battles and study orca tactics to discover the ultimate predator. - 10 p.m. ET/PT: Makozilla
A wave of savage assaults against the sea lion population off California's coast has sparked fears of a monstrous predator dubbed “Mako-Zilla.” Recent discoveries, including a 600-pound mauled sea lion with massive gashes, hint that a 16-foot-long predator could be responsible. A team of shark experts, including bite specialist Jeff Harris and Dr. Craig O'Connell, embark on a mission to unveil the identity of the colossal predator haunting the coast. - 11 p.m. ET/PT: 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 Shark attack that occurred near Sydney Harbor, Australia – the first fatal incident in the region in almost 60 years. The dramatic encounter, which was captured on camera, was the sixth attack to occur in as many weeks. Within this aquatic arena, Great Whites contend with Bull Sharks, Tiger Sharks, and even humans in a colossal battle for supremacy. The unfolding saga raises the compelling question of who will emerge victorious in this intense struggle for dominance.
Monday, July 8
- 8 p.m. ET/PT: Big Shark Energy
Shark experts Dr. Riley Elliott and Kori Burkhardt put on a one-of-a-kind shark competition to determine which male Great White Shark is the alpha in a pack of massive adults. In the waters off New Zealand, they compare the sharks speed, hunting ability, and fearlessness to determine who has the swagger to swim away with a female shark. - 9 p.m. ET/PT: Shark Frenzy: Mating Games
Dr. Craig O’Connell explores the love lives of Oceanic White Tips & Tiger Sharks, suggesting that feeding frenzies spark romance vital for species survival. Armed with advanced gear, he orchestrates feeding events to uncover the mating link, which is crucial for species protection. - 10 p.m. ET/PT: Great White Serial Killer: Sea of Blood
After two 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. - Encores run at 11 p.m. ET/PT on Discovery.
Tuesday, July 9
- 8 p.m. ET/PT: Deadliest Bite
Using cutting edge technology, Dr. Tristan Guttridge, Annie Guttridge, Paul De Gelder and Skye Minnis unveil the secrets of Bull, Tiger, Hammerhead, Great White, and rare shark species' jaw mechanics and delve deep into how these sharks' jaws and teeth deliver lethal attacks. - 9 p.m. ET/PT: 6000lb. Shark
Marine Biologists Tom “The Blowfish” 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 are 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. - 10 p.m. ET/PT: Monster Hammerheads: Species X
Dr. Austin Gallagher and his team of researchers including Liv Dixon, Zandi Ndhlovu, and Dr. Tristan Guttridge, investigate an aggressive population of Hammerhead Sharks in Turks and Caicos, which they believe could be an entirely new species. - Encores run at 11 p.m. ET/PT on Discovery
Wednesday, July 10
- 8 p.m. ET/PT: 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. - 9 p.m. ET/PT: Expedition Unknown: Shark Wrecks of WWII
Global adventurer Josh Gates and shark biologist Tristan Guttridge team up with nature’s deadliest predator to search for a lost wreck sunk by a Nazi U-Boat during World War II. - 10 p.m. ET/PT: 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 in their mission to uncover whether the critically endangered Angel Shark remains in Japan's waters. Along the way, Forrest will uncover 17 different and unique species and witness the births of little-known Velvet Dogfish sharks. - Encores run at 11 p.m. ET/PT on Discovery
Thursday, July 11
- 8 p.m. ET/PT: 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 attempt to track down the killer. - 9 p.m. ET/PT: Caught! When Sharks Attack
Researchers are witnessing an unusual amount of shark aggression and attacks. A team of experts will analyze the most intense shark encounters Caught! on camera, unveiling mysterious new behaviors within these dangerous interactions. - 10 p.m. ET/PT: 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 behavior in these massive apex predators. - Encores run at 11 p.m. ET/PT on Discovery
Friday, July 12
- 8 p.m. ET/PT: The Real Sharkano
Shark advocate and attack survivor Paul De Gelder visits an ultra-remote island of shark-worshiping natives to see if their secret ways of swimming with deadly sharks holds the secret to humans and sharks living together in peace. - 9 p.m. ET/PT: Sharks of the Dead Zone
Significant marine pollution and algal bloom outbreaks are creating eerie dead zones in North America’s most biodiverse estuary. Dr. Tiara Moore, along with Dr. Craig O’Connell, explores whether Bull Sharks can persist in the Indian River Lagoon, a vital nursery, despite the oxygen-depleted waters. Her mission could unlock the secrets to shark survival in changing oceans. - 10 p.m. ET/PT: Shark Attack Island
A South Pacific paradise has become a shark attack hot spot with Bull, Tiger, and Great White sharks moving closer and closer to the resort beaches, fatally attacking seven people in the last five years. Dr. Riley Elliot, Paul De Gelder, and Kori Burkhardt conduct experiments to identify the species responsible and find out why they are attacking. - Encores run at 11 p.m. ET/PT on Discovery
Saturday, July 13
- 8 p.m. ET/PT: Sharktopia
In Indonesia’s Raja Ampat Islands, a team of researchers hunt for one of the region’s last living leopard sharks. But as they venture deeper into the unknown, the journey brings them face to face with some of the weirdest and wildest sharks on earth. - 9 p.m. ET/PT: Mothersharker: Hammer Time
Using the latest underwater ultrasound and birthing tag technology, researchers Dr. James Sulikowski and Beckah Campbell aim to solve the mystery of where the elusive pregnant scalloped hammerheads give birth – and it may be closer than anyone realizes. - Encores run at 10 p.m. & 11 p.m. ET/PT on Discovery
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