HAS SHARK WEEK JUMPED THE SHARK? SHARK WEEK AND SHARK FACTS

The start of #sharkweek programming on Discovery has left some viewers feeling like they’ve just watched ‘Sharknado’ again instead of actual educational television.

Ok, here’s the plan. Every day this week, I’m going to share real stories of awesome nature. Operation “Cooler than #sharkweek” — Brian Switek (@Laelaps) August 5, 2013

The mockumentary about Megalodon has made me lose faith in @SharkWeek. Years of highlighting “sharks are scary" hasn’t help, either. — Collin VanBuren (@CollinVanBuren) August 5, 2013

“@SharkWeek: The final evidence of #Megalodon is revealed tonight at 9/8c. Decide for yourself" Or trust scientific evidence and consensus — David Shiffman (@WhySharksMatter) August 4, 2013

I believe the thrill of #sharkweek comes from the media’s inherent desire to paint sharks as villains (as well as mainstream society to accept this). I mean, most of the sharks we’re most familiar with are huge, toothy beasts, with jaws big enough to have a film named after them. But when we do this, we start to lose sight of everything else sharks are: sleek creatures, brilliantly sophisticated hunters, and full of mystery. Perhaps most of all, sharks are a sign of a strong ecosystem.

Much of the negative feedback from last night focuses on ’Megalodon: The Monster Shark Lives’ (you can see the trailer for it here), a “documentary" about the long extinct shark, Megalodon.

With that said, once you skirt around the villain framing and suspect science, it’s still pretty cool to have a whole week of television focused around one kind of animal. That is as long as we focus on facts. Looking forward to #pandaweek.

SHARK STUDIES

And with that, let’s talk about some incredible things going on in the study of sharks!