Sharkfest

Can sharks change color at will to enhance their predatory abilities? Through groundbreaking experiments, revered shark biologists answer this evolutionary question. Shark scientists Dr. Ryan Johnson and Ph.D. candidate Gibbs Kuguru hope to capture real-time pigmentation changes to understand how these apex ocean predators manipulate their skin’s dermal cells to activate camouflage.

Bull sharks are invading in a big way. Their bullish behavior in oceans worldwide has made them famous from coast to coast. The seven seas aren’t enough; they’re taking over brackish waters and rivers too! Warmer waters due to climate change mean bull sharks can expand their range even further … so the more we learn about them now, the better."

Ever feel like the world is working against you? Try being a shark! These predators of the deep have some serious beef with just about everyone. Whales, tuna, surfers, swimmers, they’re at odds with them all. In face-off after face-off, sharks prove they are the ULTIMATE survivors."

If you go down to the beach today, you could get a big surprise! Drones are revolutionizing everything that we thought we knew about sharks. And the biggest surprise? That many sharks live closer to our shores than we might like to imagine. It’s time to look behind you; the ocean’s top predator could be much closer than you think!

Every year tiger sharks gather in big numbers in Maui. What’s the cause? It’s a mystery that’s a decade in the making. Now, a team of fearless shark scientists gets hands-on with one of the ocean’s largest predators to find out. That means free diving, face-to-face and unprotected. But these young women will do whatever it takes to get the data they need to crack the case."

Shark encounters off the coast of California are skyrocketing. Now, a team of researchers is on a mission to investigate a newly discovered white shark hot spot close to popular beaches and determine how many great whites are out there. Their expedition will bring them face-to-face with some of the biggest sharks on the planet."

Two teams of experts go to extraordinary lengths to take shark science into the wild as they investigate two of the most iconic shark superpowers: speed and bite force. In California, the race is on as Andy Casagrande attempts to reveal the top speed of the world’s fastest shark. And in the Bahamas, Brocq Maxey gets much closer than most to investigate the power in a shark’s bite.

In the animal kingdom, males are often presumed to be the most dominant. But in the ocean, does this presumption hold water? Scientists search for answers to understand if the biggest and baddest sharks of them all are female. From the great white sharks of South Africa to the tiger sharks in the Maldives, the team seeks to uncover the ultimate rulers of the waves."

Even the biggest, fastest and fiercest predators start as babies. Baby sharks are cute, but they need to grow up fast because out of more than 500 species of sharks, not one parent sticks around to help raise them. Sharks are found in every ocean across the planet and have evolved in extraordinarily different ways to carry their young and give birth and for baby sharks to thrive.

The moon has an impact on animal species around the globe, but there’s never been a connection drawn between the lunar cycle and sharks. One scientist thinks the moon plays an important role in the migration and life cycle of the scalloped hammerhead, and he’s on a mission to see if his hypothesis is true. If there’s a tie between the hammerhead shark and the moon, there could be a tie with other shark species as well ... with a profound impact on both shark science and conservation.

Dive into the jaw-dropping stories of anyone and anything that’s found themselves prey to the deadliest, toothiest terrors of the sea. The boundless hunger and curiosity of sharks can lead them to chow down on the most unexpected things, such as big game like hippos and crocs or inanimate objects like kayaks, cages and chicken coops."

The two biggest of the BIG THREE — great whites and tiger sharks — are two of the most dangerous predators in the ocean. And they get BIG, up to 20 feet and 18 feet, respectively. But can they grow even larger than that? Where can we find the world’s biggest? Two teams of scientists are diving in to uncover the secrets of these powerful and majestic creatures.

It’s time for sharks to face off in the ultimate species competition with the greatest matchups the ocean has ever seen. In ten nail-biting competitions, we’ll prove once and for all which shark is the MVP of the open sea. The great white is favored, but can it beat the shortfin mako in the 100-meter dash? Or out-jump the thresher shark? Can it keep up with the appetite of the whale shark? An underdog might just swim into first place

All across YouTube, viral videos abound of great whites and other sharks attacking boats with a ferocity and anger that has never been seen before. The question is, why? Is this simply a case of more people having cameras to video the behavior, or is something else happening? Dr. Mike Heithaus and Ph.D. candidate Sara Casareto set out to investigate what’s causing this clash between sharks and boats

Numerous reports of giant great hammerhead sharks, up to twenty feet in length, have put the actual size potential of this species into question. A team of scientists from Florida International University is now on an expedition off the Florida coast to try and find the world’s biggest hammerhead, taking them from the numerous bridges of the Florida Keys to the sharky waters of the Bahamas.

Big and dangerous predators are invading unexpected waters, from golf courses and swimming pools to lakes and backyard keys. Through analyzing user-generated footage, shark experts get to the bottom of how and why sharks seem more willing than ever to meet us on our own turf. In a bizarre twist, people encountering sharks in unexpected places are called to urgent action