What to Watch on Discovery

With the season’s big holiday in the nation’s rearview and the majority of the summer’s blockbusters currently playing in cinemas, mid-July is now upon us. At this time of year, you’ll notice certain sensory shifts: the smells of sizzling barbecues, the noise of children in the street and the record heat you’ve been cursing becomes less bothersome. Why? Because you are, or should be, inside enjoying Shark Week. 

Discovery Channel‘s enduringly popular summertime TV event is back, for its 37th year, starting on Sunday and featuring a slew of new shows. Expect another wildly entertaining and at times informative variety with plenty of personalities. Giddy gratification and gory glimpses of the ocean predators are plentiful this year, as is some frightening and fascinating footage of the summer season’s seminal scallywag.

Here’s a brief look at some of the highlights below, with the full viewing schedule here.

How to Survive a Shark Attack

This white-knuckle show provides practical knowledge for every ocean swimmer and Jaws fan’s ultimate fear: facing down an apex predator in a real-life shark attack. Using three potential scenarios, the hour-long episode breaks down survival tactics that could mean the difference between life and death for an unlucky human shark bait. It’s hosted by the affable Paul de Gelder, a former Australian Navy bomb disposal diver and Army paratrooper who survived a bull shark attack in 2009. Watch as sharks tear into his prosthetic limbs, squirm amid some gripping close calls, and allow the very macho commentary to wash over you and grimace (or giggle) at a shocking amount of fake blood. 

Black Mako of the Abyss

An unusually aggressive and elusive shark terrorizes the California coast, prompting a deep-sea hunt to determine if it’s a known species —or if it may be something far more mysterious. Producer, marine biologist and shark expert Kendyl Berna, who co-founded Beyond the Reef, teams up with researchers to deploy cutting-edge tech in pursuit of the so-called “black mako.” Ample sonar drama is afoot — and it comes with a side of speculative science — in an episode that’s giving half-sci-fi thriller, half-documentary.

Air Jaws: The Hunt for Colossus

The iconic great white leaping spectacle is known for stunning shots of breaches as it focuses on high-speed hunts and aerial acrobatics. This time on the Shark Week classic, a crack team of marine biologists and — let’s face it, aqua adventure junkies — are on the hunt for Colossus, a legendary 20-foot Great White who disappeared off the coast of South Africa and has not been seen in 10 years. Could he be off the coast of New Zealand? Will the marine-loving crew of shark seekers find their “white whale”? Will they capture some of the most stunning shark breaches in Discovery’s history? Anything is possible — it’s Shark Week, after all…

Caught! Sharks Strike Back

This episode compiles jaw-dropping footage of sharks turning the tables — biting cameras, boats and sometimes the people trying to film them. Hosted by incomparable adrenaline junkie Kinga Philipps, this highly entertianing episode blends viral clips with commentary from startled scientists and thrill-seeking divers. The jump-scare editing style keeps the pace moving, even if its at the cost of the insights into shark behavior we’re here for. But that’s for the other shows. Pass the Goldfish….

Attack of the Devil Shark

Legend meets biology in this deep dive into the myth of a monstrous shark blamed for the death of a man attacked in St. Martin. Again, an assembled team of cryptozoologists and shark researchers comes together, this time looking to draw a line between fiction and facts as they find an innovative way to draw the shark — and dozens of its closest pals — toward the underwater crew in what to most viewers is an absolute nightmare scenario. Sit in a deeper chair because this hour of television will redefine the edge of your seat. 

Dancing with Sharks

In this beautifully shot special, we are invited to explore the unusual bond between humans and sharks as free divers interact with the ocean predators in choreographed underwater encounters. Featuring journalist and adventurer Kinga Philipps, the episode showcases some gorgeous and serene dives with tiger sharks and hammerheads. One may ask, should wild animals turn into dance partners? But one should also be certain to remember this piece of sage advice: “Live every week like it’s Shark Week.”

Shark Week 2025 starts Sunday July 20 on Discovery.