Now that we’re officially in August, it means we’re in the final act of summer, and that means that Shark Week is definitively in our rearview mirror. While it was only a week ago that audiences could tune into the Discovery Channel at any time of day to get to check out incredible footage of the impressive fish, things have gotten a bit more difficult when it comes to taking the plunge into the compelling footage. While previous years had made it a bit more difficult to embrace our love of sharks outside of this specific week, streaming services like Max and discovery+ make it easy to witness all of the best programming that Shark Week 2023 had to offer.
Whether it be the kings of Shark Week, the great white shark, or various other impressive creatures, this year’s programming event offered up a lot of excitement for audiences to sink their teeth into. Given the abundance of specials that were unleashed not just this year, but in previous years, it can be a bit trickier to see the best that Shark Week has to offer, but we’re here to help offer some guidance in the highlights of Shark Week 2023.
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Scroll down to see our picks for the best specials that were delivered during this year’s Shark Week, which are available to stream now both on Max and on discovery+.
Belly of the Beast: Feeding Frenzy
Belly of the Beast: Feeding Frenzy was the special that kicked off this year’s Shark Week, leading the charge of everything that followed, and for good reason.
Discovery describes the special, “In a Shark Week first, researchers with cameras brave a great white shark feeding frenzy from inside a life-size whale decoy. Their findings could be the key to finding the biggest great white shark in South African history.”
With great white sharks being some of the most awe-inspiring creatures in the animal kingdom, it can be challenging to find new perspectives to showcase their power, but Belly of the Beast fully offers up these glimpses of the sharks, thanks to the implementation of a decoy resembling a whale carcass. Making matters more shocking and gruesome was the decoy’s inclusion of what can only be described as a “blood helmet,” which exploded with blood and innards to drive the great whites wild.
Belly of the Beast: Feeding Frenzy marked for one of the most pulse-pounding hours in all of Shark Week 2023, as it put researchers and viewers closer to the action than ever.
Jaws vs. The Meg
Rivaling the excitement and wonder that audiences have for great white sharks is the extinct Megalodon, a species closely related to the great white in all ways, shapes, and forms, except its size would exceed a school bus.
Discovery describes the special, “The MEG, a massive shark measuring 50 feet and weighing 60 tons, was once feared as the most fearsome predator. It could devour a killer whale effortlessly, but new evidence suggests that its cousin, the great white shark, may have caused its extinction.”
One of the more hypothetical programs in this year’s Shark Week, Jaws vs. The Meg offered a variety of unique visualizations that really helped showcase just how massive — and deadly — the Megalodon was at a time when dinosaurs ruled the Earth. Love for the creature is so strong, in fact, that some enthusiasts think the creature could still exist today. While there’s zero evidence that this is the case, this special does help showcase how impressive the fish was, while also building excitement for the upcoming movie Meg 2: The Trench.
Shark Week: Off the Hook
This year marked the 35th annual Shark Week, and whether you’ve seen every special or are looking to catch up on the event’s highlights, Shark Week: Off the Hook has you covered.
Discovery describes the special, “Dive into the biggest thrills and most terrifying moments from 35 years of Shark Week, celebrating behind the scenes of iconic moments and revealing never-before-seen footage of the fearless adventurers who get up close with the world’s scariest creatures.”
It’s admittedly a bit unfair to highlight Shark Week: Off the Hook, given that it essentially serves as a “greatest hits” for all 35 years of programming, but the footage contained within the episode is undeniably effective, while also including some footage that is just as thrilling today as it was when it premiered. Understandably, audiences are always curious about the close calls any shark researchers face in pursuit of knowledge, and Shark Week: Off the Hook offers up some of the most nail-biting sequences delivered during the event, while also highlighting just how far the event has come since its humble origins in the late ’80s.
Great White Fight Club
Great white sharks are considered to be the apex predator of the ocean, being able to wipe out any prey that’s in their crosshairs, but Great White Fight Club highlights the damage they can do to one another when they have to go head to head.
Discovery describes the special, “A team of experts venture into the treacherous waters of New Zealand to provide groundbreaking evidence that female white sharks unequivocally dominate the ocean, reigning as the ultimate controllers of its fierce battlegrounds.”
Every year, there are quite a few specials that focus on great whites, but those specials typically highlight their hunting habits. Great White Fight Club, on the other hand, shows that these predators can even pose threats to one another, proving that no fish is truly safe in the ocean, so long as great whites exist.
Monsters of the Bermuda Triangle
While its title includes phrases like “monsters” and “Bermuda Triangle,” this special is less about the outlandish and instead plays out more like a true crime documentary, but if the victim was an unsuspecting porbeagle shark.
Discovery describes the special, “A healthy, 10-foot pregnant porbeagle shark vanishes in the Bermuda Triangle. The evidence suggests an unknown, monstrous predator could be to blame. Dr. James Sulikowski and a team of scientists dive into the most mysterious part of the ocean to uncover the truth behind the attack.”
Some Shark Week specials are thrilling due to how they bring together impressive highlights of a species or a region, but what makes Monsters of the Bermuda Triangle compelling is how it focuses on specific sharks and their fate, while also showcasing just how sophisticated technology has gotten over the years. The idea of tracking sharks isn’t entirely new, but the discovery that tags can even track changes in temperature, potentially confirming when a tag has been eaten, really shows how far technology has come.
Mako Mania: Battle for California
Of the more than 350 species of shark, the great white seems to be the species that most enthusiasts know, but the mako shark is another impressive specimen that earns a similar reputation as being an eating machine. Mako Mania: Battle for California shines a line on a fish that doesn’t always get as much screen time as the great white, while highlighting how it gives the great white a swim for its money.
Discovery describes the special, “Off the coast of Los Angeles, a new population of super makos challenge great whites for their hunting territories. Dr. Craig O’Connell, Fo Zayed, and Kendyl Berna deploy state-of-the-art technology to reveal their dominance and unveil the mysteries that have transformed these makos into some of the fiercest predators in the oceans.”
Given the domination of great whites in Shark Week, witnessing the speed and power of other sharks as they hunt and breach out of the water reminds us just how impressive all manner of species are, with the comparisons to great whites making their physicality all the more impressive.
Raiders of the Lost Shark
Not all great white sharks are created equal, and Raiders of the Lost Shark proves that some creatures are so impressive that they’re hard to ever forget.
Discovery describes the special, “Shark expert Matt Dicken and Shark Week legend Dickie Chivell embark on a relentless quest to locate an elusive and colossal shark named Dutchess, who mysteriously vanished from Gansbaai, South Africa years ago.”
Similar to the 2019 special Legend of Deep Blue, Raiders of the Lost Shark showcases how, even though many great whites can grow to an impressive size, some animals exist at the extreme end of these measurements and leave a lasting impression on researchers. While it’s easy to think of how similar so many sharks are, this special also highlights that those who are closest with these animals can develop unexpected connections with individuals, shining a spotlight on how, even in the ocean, specific individuals can stand out.
Air Jaws: Final Frontier
It doesn’t really feel like Shark Week without an installment of Air Jaws, with Air Jaws: Final Frontier delivering the high-flying predatory behavior audiences have grown to love over the years.
Discovery describes the special, “Shark filmmakers hunt for ‘Air Jaws’ in New Zealand’s hidden launch pad. Andy Casagrande and Jeff Kurr seek the second-ever breaching great white in these waters to uncover history-making secrets.”
Compared to past Air Jaws specials, Final Frontier might not deliver quite as many powerful displays, but from a narrative standpoint, the special harkens back to the early years of the series. Rather than trying to capture the biggest or the most extravagant display of the behavior, trying to capture the breaching behavior in an all-new region adds a compelling narrative to the premise and delivers a satisfying payoff.
The Haunting of Shark Tower
Discovery’s sister brand Travel Channel might be more known for its programs featuring the supernatural, and while The Haunting of Shark Tower might not be a crossover between the brands, everything depicted in The Haunting of Shark Tower blurs the line between a nature documentary and a horror movie.
Discovery describes the special, “News of a harrowing shark encounter at North Carolina’s Frying Pan Tower sends underwater cinematographer Andy Casagrande and shark expert Kori Burkhardt on a dangerous quest to discover whether great white sharks are moving into the state’s waters.”
Rather than taking place in a tropical locale, the setting of many Shark Week specials, we instead spend time at a retired coast guard tower that is decaying back into the ocean, already making for a creepy sight. Add to that the murky waters and nighttime dives, as well as the great whites lurking below, and you’ll be glad to be watching this special unfold from the comfort of your own home as opposed to the chilling depths of Shark Tower.
Dawn of the Monster Mako
Much like Raiders of the Lost Shark, Dawn of the Monster Mako is engaging in how it highlights how one specific animal can leave a major impact on even the most season of shark researchers.
Discovery describes the special, “A 14-foot giant mako shark is spotted in the waters of Portugal’s Azores region. Underwater cinematographer Joe Romeiro and his marine biologist wife, Lauren, search the teeming depths around the ancient islands to capture the beast on film.”
Calling this shark a “monster” feels like a bit of an understatement, as it pushes the limits and preconceived notions of how big a mako shark can really get. Instead of just delivering a barrage of footage about these sharks, Dawn of the Monster Mako instead highlights how the great white shark might not always reign supreme and how advancements in tracking technology could uncover unexpected secrets about the fish.
All Shark Week 2023 specials are now streaming on Max and discovery+.
Which was your favorite special? Let us know in the comments!
