Did you miss National Geographic‘s annual SharkFest when it aired on the network? Fret not because Disney+ is your go-to spot for shark content you’ll certainly want to sink your teeth into. Below are some of the must-see selections.
In the first of six episodes, scientists from the 360 team investigate incidents involving what divers and surfers call “yum-yum yellow,” found in ocean gear like surfboards, kayaks and wetsuits. Among the accounts (supported by body-cam footage) is a diver bitten by a juvenile white shark drawn to his yellow dive bag. The stumper: Sharks are colorblind. But the determined experts figure out why this isn’t just a pigment of the imagination. Recently Available
More than 1,200 shark bites and attacks have been recorded internationally in the past 47 years. Fourteen percent were fatal. Florida reigns as “the shark bite capital of the world” (blame the 825 miles of sandy shoreline), but now many of these encounters occur at unexpected beaches worldwide. In these eight episodes, experts look into recent attacks (right) to learn what is affecting the ocean’s most feared fish. Recently Available
When Sharks Attack… And Why (Credit: National Geographic/Disney+)
In one corner, the mighty bull shark: stocky, 10 feet long and with superior jaw strength. In the other, the great hammerhead: sleek, 20 feet long and able to turn on a dime. A fight between these two food-chain toppers (thrashing in the shallow shore-break of a Florida beach) was captured in a 2021 video that went viral. This special follows a team of shark experts investigating whether the brawls are more common than previously thought. Their thrilling techniques include attaching a camera to a moving bull shark—an action-packed scientific first! Recently Available
Canadians shuddered in fear when the first white shark attack in 150 years occurred off their coast in 2021. The victim survived, but were there more incidents to come? In this special, a team of experts consider what drives the charismatic predators to the northernmost limit of their range. The team tag and track sharks (who are given distinctly unscary names like Barnacle Ben and Mr. Frisky) for answers. Recently Available
Biologists want to know which shark species is chomping on dolphins in the Bahamas, so they compare photos of the bite scars to tooth impressions from three top suspects: bull, tiger and great hammerhead. But sharks don’t exactly have dental records. To get a munch model, the scientists must get creative. They tempt sharks to take a bite of a life-size, 200-pound dolphin decoy — dubbed Gooey — that’s made from nontoxic gelatin. Recently Available
National Geographic’s SharkFest, Streaming now, Disney+
This is an excerpt from TV Insider’s August issue. For more in-depth, reported coverage devoted to streaming shows from the publishers of TV Guide Magazine, pick up the issue, currently on newsstands, or purchase it online here. You can also subscribe to TV Insider Magazine here now.
