By April MacIntyre Jul 30, 2010, 4:01 GMT
A Great White shark (Carcharodon carcharias) aims for bite next to a boat in the Indian Ocean, Gansbaai, South Africa, 19 June 2010. EPA/FRANCK ROBICHON
Like the promise of the festive Holiday season come the end of October, August heralds "Shark Week" on Discovery - and this is a very good thing.
Back in 1975, "Jaws" remapped how Hollywood approaches summer films. It also brought a new audience to the smallscreen who were fascinated by the lurking danger in the deep, compelled to search for more information on the apex predator giants that roam unemotionally, looking for their next opportunity.
Whenever you venture out into the water, remember that you are also stepping out on a large random dinner plate for a variety of creatures.
Twelve years after "Jaws" the Discovery channel began "Shark Week" based on the evergreen popularity of the iconic film and the demand for more information on all big fish with teeth.
The summer series became such a hit that Shark Week is known all over the world, as we watch re-enacted true life stories of the unfortunate who tangled with a Great White, Bull, Tiger, Mako, Hammerhead or Blue Shark. This series balances documentary style footage and dramatic retelling seamlessly, and we love it more every August it airs on Discovery.
"Jaws," based on the novel by Peter Benchley, was steeped in Benchley's research into that famous "summer of blood" in 1916 off the Jersey Shore that claimed four lives. Historians and scientists speculate that it was most likely a Bull shark that traveled up river killing two people in fresh water Matawan Creek, as this species has been known to appear in the Mississippi river up by St. Louis!
Now, in 2010, Discovery marks its 25th anniversary of programming excellence. And on Sunday, Aug. 1, with a heart-stopping episode called "Ultimate Air Jaws," "Shark Week" launches its 23rd annual edition.
"Ultimate Air Jaws" is exhilarating and you will be glued to your seat as Great Whites propel themselves upwards at speeds of 25+MPH attacking seals and decoys. Scheider was right, we all need bigger boats. You will think twice about being in the open ocean on anything smaller than Quint's "Orca."
Using the very latest in technology, including an HD camera that shoots in super slow motion – 2,000 frames per second, or 20 to 30 times slower than “typical” slow motion footage – Kurr and shark expert Chris Fallows slow down the footage of a breaching shark from one second in real time to almost a full minute. The unparalleled resolution provides so much detail that you can literally count every tooth in the shark’s mouth. Fallows and Kurr also employ a submarine and remotely operated helicopter to capture this incredible footage.
"Ultimate Air Jaws" sees shark expert Chris Fallows and filmmaker Jeff Kurr return to the target-rich sea coast of South Africa.
Sunday also will feature "Into the Shark Bite," created by the producers of Discovery's "Time Warp" series. Filmmakers use high-speed HD cameras to go inside the mouth of the beasties.
Here is the whole schedule from Discovery:
SHARK WEEK 2010 - EPISODE GUIDE
ULTIMATE AIR JAWSPremieres Sunday, August 1 at 9PM ET/PT
Off the coast of South Africa, massive great white sharks blast from the water, pulling a sneak attack on their seal prey. Shark expert Chris Fallows and filmmaker Jeff Kurr (AIR JAWS, AIR JAWS 2) arrive on the scene to investigate the aerial attacks using state-of-the-art technology including an HD camera that shoots in super slow motion – 2,000 frames per second. This enables the team to slow down a breaching shark from one second of real time to almost a minute, and in so much detail you can literally count every tooth in the shark’s mouth. Fallows and Kurr also employ a submarine and remotely operated helicopter to capture this incredible footage.
INTO THE SHARK BITE
Premieres Sunday, August 1 at 10PM ET/PT
Go where humans don’t dare to in INTO THE SHARK BITE, created by the producers of Discovery’s TIME WARP series. Watch the power of a shark bite filmed with the latest high-speed, high-definition cameras from extraordinary angles – ending up literally inside the jaws of sharks.
SHARK ATTACK SURVIVAL GUIDE
Premieres Monday, August 2 at 9PM ET/PT
In the ultimate immersive survival show, host and Green Beret Terry Schappert draws on his survival training to show you ways to stay alive in SHARK ATTACK SURVIVAL GUIDE. He dives with real sharks to recreate five attack scenarios, drawn from actual survival stories, to show how these attacks can happen, and what you can learn to do so that neither you nor the shark gets hurt.
DAY OF THE SHARK
Premieres Monday, August 2 at 10PM ET/PT
Learn valuable lessons from six people who survived shark attacks in the return of DAY OF THE SHARK, and find out why they don’t blame the sharks. Hear from a Navy Seal who was attacked by a bull shark in the murky waters of the Sydney Harbor while participating in an anti-terrorism exercise, a fisherman attacked by a pair of bull sharks while standing in the shallow waters of Breton Sound in Louisiana, a surfer in Jongensfontein, South Africa, who was attacked by a great white shark, a vacationer snorkeling at the Great Barrier Reef in Australia who was attacked by a reef shark and a surfer attacked by a tiger shark in Oahu, Hawaii.
SHARK BITE BEACH
Premieres Tuesday, August 3 at 9PM ET/PT
In 2008, fear gripped beaches along the coast of California and Mexico in the wake of multiple horrific shark attacks. SHARK BITE BEACH returns to the site of the attacks to recreate the dramatic stories of survival and search for clues that might explain why sharks mistook humans for prey that fateful summer.
BEST BITES
Premieres Wednesday, August 4 at 10PM ET/PT
The BEST BITES host takes viewers on a dive through some of the most jaw-dropping moments from past SHARK WEEK specials. With the help of some of our daring shark experts, learn amazing shark feats, shark facts and shark science while we bust some myths and highlight some of the dirtiest jobs in the ocean.
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Discovery's president Clark Bunting issued this letter to Senator John Kerry for shark preservation:
July 7, 2010
Senator John KerryUnited States SenateWashington, DC 20510
Dear Senator Kerry:
Each year, more than 100 million sharks around the world are killed by commercial fishing — including tens of millions just for their fins. The demand for shark fins, meat, liver oil and other products is driving numerous shark populations to the brink of extinction.
Populations of several shark species found in U.S. waters have declined by more than 97 percent in recent decades. Now, to make matters worse, the oil spilling into the northern Gulf of Mexico is threatening an important habitat area for several shark species, including whale, thresher, hammerhead and tiger sharks.
Sharks play a vital role in marine ecosystems, maintaining the balance of life in the ocean. Scientists warn that removing sharks will cause irreversible damage to our oceans and the species that inhabit them.
For this reason, Discovery Channel is once again supporting The Shark Conservation Act of 2009 (S. 850). We applaud you for introducing this critical legislation to help strengthen the U.S. ban on shark finning, improve shark fisheries data and encourage international shark conservation. We also applaud the House of Representatives for passing this legislation by voice vote in March 2009.
As the #1 nonfiction media company in the world, Discovery Communications strives to educate and inform viewers about our planet and Discovery’s SHARK WEEK, now in its 23rd year, has become a perennial favorite among viewers who want to learn more about this powerful and often misunderstood creature. SHARK WEEK, which premieres this year on August 1, highlights historical shark events, scientific findings and little-known behavior with compelling footage and storytelling.
We also want to share with you Discovery’s partnership with Oceana, Ocean Conservancy and The Pew Charitable Trusts, which includes a public service announcement campaign. These PSAs, to air throughout SHARK WEEK, will educate viewers about the plight of sharks and encourage grassroots action via our online resource center. This site, discovery.com/savethesharks, will include information about the important work our nonprofit partners are doing as well as ways people can help ensure the U.S. is at the forefront of shark conservation.
Again, thank you for your leadership on this critical issue. We look forward to working with you to strengthen domestic shark protections and promote shark conservation around the globe.
Sincerely,
Clark BuntingPresident & General Manager, Discovery Channel and President, Science Channel
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