For one week each summer, millions of Americans tune into the same thing: Shark Week.
Back for its 37th year, the event gives viewers an array of shark-themed content to binge from the Discovery Channel. This year’s celebration started Sunday and runs through Saturday.
Shark Week is the longest-running cable television event in history, according to the network. Last year, over 25 million people tuned in to watch the iconic predators.
Shark enthusiasts can watch 20 hours of content ranging from rare footage and conservation efforts to video of feeding frenzies. Shark Week content is available on the Discovery Channel and HBO Max.
How did Shark Week start?
Shark Week started in 1988 with its premiere of “Caged in Fear,” which looked at motorized cages created to prevent shark attacks.
The event began as a way of countering misconceptions about sharks and raising awareness about conservation efforts. In its first run, the week’s ratings nearly doubled the channel’s prime-time average, the network said. Soon, it became a summertime staple.
What should you do in case of a shark attack?
If you see a shark while swimming, stay calm and slowly move away, exiting the water once it’s safe. Avoid excessive splashing or movement. If the shark attempts to attack, firmly hit it in the eyes, nose or gills, and escape as quickly as possible.
Where do most sharks live? Are there any in the Chesapeake Bay?
Sharks live in many different types of water depending on the preference of the species. Some, like the gray reef shark and blacktip shark, inhabit coral reefs. Others, like the hammerhead and saw shark, prefer the sandy seafloor. Great white sharks typically prefer cooler waters and will migrate throughout the year as a result.
There are at least 12 species of sharks in the bay, according to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. The five most common are the sandbar shark, bull shark, sand tiger shark, smooth dogfish and spiny dogfish.
The bay serves as a crucial nursery for young sandbar sharks, which primarily eat fish and crabs. Bull sharks have been known to display aggressive behavior, but they are in the bay only occasionally during the summer and are not typically dangerous unless provoked.
There have been no recorded shark attacks in the bay, the Chesapeake Bay Program reported, citing the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. However, people should avoid swimming at dawn or dusk and avoid swimming near people fishing. Swimmers should not go alone and should avoid wearing shiny things, according to the foundation.
Where can you go to see sharks in captivity?
In Maryland, shark enthusiasts can go to the National Aquarium in Baltimore to see the animals in captivity. The aquarium’s shark alley exhibition features seven species, including nurse sharks, sandbar sharks and largetooth sawfish sharks.
How can Marylanders celebrate Shark Week?
Marylanders can check out bars or restaurants for Shark Week specials. Pink Flamingo in Remington in North Baltimore is offering shark-themed menu items, like its fried calamari Chum Bucket, and fun cocktails, like the fruity, rum-based Sharknado. Jimmy’s Famous Seafood, in Broening Manor in Southeast Baltimore, is hosting a Shark Week paint night Tuesday, featuring shark-themed cocktails, mocktails and small plates.
The National Aquarium also hosts a daily behind-the-scenes tour of its shark exhibition. Participants can feed some of the fish in the tropical reef, see the food prep kitchen, and tour the medical area.
Have a news tip? Contact Irit Skulnik at iskulnik@baltsun.com or on X as @irit_skulnik.
