Time To Dive In: Shark Week Returns For Its 29th Edition | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Lifestyle

Time To Dive In: Shark Week Returns For Its 29th Edition

Are you ready for another jaw-some week?

22
Time To Dive In: Shark Week Returns For Its 29th Edition
vimeo.com

*Insert Jaws theme song for dramatic effect*

Da-da, Da-da, Da-da! It's time to dive into every ocean lover's favorite time of the year, Shark Week!

Since 1988, Discovery Channel has dedicated a whole week to one of the most feared predators of the sea; everything is sharks, sharks, and more sharks! Each year, Discovery adds new programs that are sure to make your jaw drop, while classics, like Air Jaws, return to the surface.

One of the most anticipated events for this year's Shark Week is Phelps Vs Shark: The Battle For Ocean Supremacy. That's right; it's happening. On Sunday, July 23 at 8 p.m., Michael Phelps will kick off, or should I say swim off, the week by actually racing a great white shark. Hopefully, his 23 gold medals will give him an advantage over the ocean's most efficient predator.

This year, two classics come together: Shark Week and Sex and the City. The two specials, Sharks and the City: LA and Sharks and the City: New York, focus on the relationship between sharks and the famous cities.

You can find a schedule for the 29th edition of Shark Week here.

Shark Week is definitely about entertainment, but it is also about education. Sharks have a bad rep. Hollywood has depicted them as these terrifying monsters in movies like Jaws, The Shallows, and 47 Meters Down. Their large, razor-sharp teeth don't necessarily help out their image either.


Shark Week broadcasts tons of programs educating and debunking many shark misconceptions the majority of people interpret. These programs share stories of shark attack survivors, and they test theories and rumors which help us understand sharks better. The need for this kind of education is more crucial than ever.

Humans kill more than 100 million sharks every year. According to Ocean Ramsey, a shark conservationist, "the IUCN, the main authority on the conservation status of species worldwide, has great whites, tiger sharks, and other species on the red list as being vulnerable to extinction. It’s estimated that there are less than 3,500 great white sharks left worldwide. Whale sharks and scalloped hammerheads are now endangered species."

Sharks are being over-fished and finned at an alarming rate. It's getting to the point where certain species of shark may become extinct in the immediate future.

Losing these beautiful creatures would be a tragedy. Education is the key to understanding, and there are many ways to learn about sharks and the efforts to save them.

To keep up on shark conservation efforts, or just to see their breathtaking photographs, follow conservationists like Ocean Ramsey (@oceanramsey) and Juan Oliphant (@juansharks) on Instagram. You can also find helpful information here.

In honor of the beginning of Shark Week, here are some facts about these majestic creatures you can share at the dinner table:


1. You are more likely to be killed by an icicle, vending machine, champagne cork, coconut, dog, cow, bee, hot dog, mosquito, or jellyfish than a shark.

2. Until the 16th century, sharks were called "sea dogs."

3. Sharks can smell a drop of blood in one million drops of water.

4. Sharks never run out of teeth, if they lose one another spins forward from rows and rows of backup teeth.


Happy Shark Week!

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Student Life

Library Struggles Every College Student Will Understand

Are you really a college student if you don't stay up all night studying in your pajamas?

278
sleeping in the library
Daily Fun Lists

One of the most dreaded places on campus is the library. Nothing awesome ever happens here. Usually, the only reason you're here is because you've procrastinated so long that the library is the only place you'll actually get stuff done. It gives you this feeling of sadness and impending doom. You have no idea how this is going to go or how long you'll be here, but you do know it is about to be the most excruciating experiences yet. But it has to get done, so you drag yourself to the lovely library.

Keep Reading...Show less
Illistrated image of colorful balloons and fireworks
StableDiffusion

With each new year comes new goals.

Deciding on a goal can be hard, unsure of what to change for this new year. A new goal for myself is to be happier and take care of myself more. I am a very driven person; so driven that I commit to a million and ten things.

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

Pros And Cons Of Having A Birthday Near The Holidays

The truth of what it is like having a birthday around the holiday season.

3737
Christmas decoration
Flickr

It's the most wonderful time of the year!! But for some people, including myself and my Dad, it can have its ups and downs when it comes to having a birthday near and around the holiday season. I personally share a birthday with my Dad two days before Christmas. Yes, Christmas Eve Eve is our birthday. Here are a few pros and cons for having a birthday near the holidays.

Keep Reading...Show less
Christmas Tree Lights
Pixabay

It is that time of year again. Christmastime. It is one of my favorite seasons for a myriad of reasons. Here are just a few reasons why I love Christmas. This list is in no order of importance.

1. The Christmas decorations

I am that person who will decorate directly after Thanksgiving is over. This year, my roommates and I put the tree up in our apartment before we even left for Thanksgiving break. It is a great stress reliever for me to just sit in my living room and work on the huge amount of work I have before the semester is over.

Keep Reading...Show less
girl with santa hat
Photo by Toa Heftiba on Unsplash

'Tis the season to be jolly folks, and if you're anything like me, then at the stroke of midnight on Halloween your home went from wicked to winter

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments