National Geographic Celebrates a Decade Of SHARKFEST

National Geographic is hosting its biggest SHARKFEST ever, bringing a decade of the toothiest and truthiest shark content to National Geographic WILD from July 18^th to July 29^th, every week night at 8:30pm UAE and 7:30pm KSA.

Over the past 10 years, SHARKFEST, previously Shark!, has given shark fans an up close and personal audience with one of nature’s most feared predators. Not only shining a light on the science of sharks, but providing a better understanding of the oceans’ most misunderstood predator by revealing their true beauty, power, and mystery.

This year’s fin-tastic line-up of must-sea shark content pairs factual science with stunning visuals captured by some of the best ocean videographers in the business. The annual summer event makes its splash on July 18^th with SHARK SIDE OF THE MOON, a suspenseful documentary charting the lunar-driven migration of Hammerhead Sharks across the Tropical Eastern Pacific Ocean.

Throughout its two-week run, SHARKFEST's portfolio of original shows will make waves with something for everyone, from shark novices to shark fanatics. The episode MAUI SHARK MYSTERY presents a nail-biting investigation by shark sleuths into the mysterious gathering of large numbers of Tiger Sharks in Maui each year.

CAMO SHARKS looks at the efforts of two revered shark biologists as they seek to capture, in real-time, the evolutionary pigmentation changes in sharks that enhances their predatory abilities. Viewers can find out how cute BABY SHARKS hone their survival skills through an unconventional upbringing, SHARK QUEENS shows how female sharks dominate their male counterparts to rule the waves, while viewers can decide on the greatest shark of them all in GAME OF SHARKS.

The line-up offers a treasure trove of new original content on more than 15 different shark species with footage from all over the world, including the Galapagos Islands, Costa Rica, Australia, Hawaii, South Africa, The Maldives, California, Massachusetts, Maine, Florida, and more.

SHARK SIDE OF THE MOON

Premieres July 18^th, Monday at 8:30pm UAE / 7:30pm KSA                                                                                                                                       

This documentary pulls back the curtain on the secret lives of Hammerhead Sharks, revealing new insights into never-before-seen behaviors demonstrated by these incredible creatures and their lunar-driven migration journey across the Tropical Eastern Pacific Ocean. Using the latest satellite tracking technology, top marine ecologists risk their lives in a scientific quest to explore space and the oceans.

SHARK QUEENS

Premieres July 19^th, Tuesday at 8:30pm UAE / 7:30pm KSA                                                                                                                                       

In the animal kingdom males are often presumed to be the most dominant, but in the ocean does this theory 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 Tiger Sharks in The Maldives, the team seeks to uncover the ultimate rulers of the waves.

BABY SHARKS

Premieres July 20^th, Wednesday at 8:30pm UAE / 7:30pm KSA                                                                                                                                       

Even the biggest, fastest, and most fierce predators start out 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 their young. Sharks are found in every ocean across the planet and have evolved extraordinarily different ways to carry their young and give birth, but how do baby sharks survive and thrive?

MAUI SHARK MYSTERY

Premieres July 21^st, Thursday at 8:30pm UAE / 7:30pm KSA                                                                                                                                       

Every year Tiger Sharks gather in vast numbers in Maui. The reason has long been a mystery. Now, a team of fearless shark scientists will get hands-on with one of the largest ocean predators to find out. That means free diving with face-to-face, unprotected encounters. But these young women will do whatever it takes to get the data they need to crack the case.

WORLD'S BIGGEST HAMMERHEAD?

Premieres July 22^nd, Friday at 8:30pm UAE / 7:30pm KSA                                                                                                                                       

Numerous reports of giant Hammerhead Sharks up to 20ft in length have put the true size potential of this shark species into question. A team of scientists from Florida International University are on an expedition to try and find the world’s biggest Hammerhead Sharks, searching waters from the Florida Keys to the Bahamas.

CAMO SHARKS

Premieres July 25^th, Monday at 8:30pm UAE / 7:30pm KSA                                                                                                                                       

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 PhD Candidate Gibbs Kuguru hope to capture real-time pigmentation changes to understand how these apex ocean predators manipulate the dermal cells in their skin to activate camouflage.

SHARK SUPERPOWER – SKY SHARKS: CLOSER THAN YOU THINK

Premieres July 26^th, Tuesday at 8:30pm UAE / 7:30pm KSA                                                                                                                                       

Series: Using drones, we take to the skies to give SHARKFEST a fresh new perspective. With our "eyes in the sky" we will reveal amazing shark action like never before. From baby sharks seeking refuge amongst the surfers off California’s coast to the spectacle of Tiger Sharks hunting a fledging albatross in Hawaii, Sky Sharks will reveal the intelligence, social life, and complex hunting strategies of the oceans' most impressive hunters.

Episode: If you go down to the beach today, you could get a big surprise! Drones are revolutionizing everything 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 oceans’ top predator could be much closer than you think!

SHARK SUPERPOWER – SHARK SUPERPOWER

Premieres July 27^th, Wednesday at 8:30pm UAE / 7:30pm KSA                                                                                                                                       

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, while in the Bahamas, Brocq Maxey gets closer than most to investigate the power of a shark’s bite.

 

GAME OF SHARKS

Premieres July 28^th, Thursday at 8:30pm UAE / 7:30pm KSA                                                                                                                                       

It’s time for sharks to face off in the ultimate species competition with the greatest match-ups the ocean has ever seen. In 10 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? Or could an underdog swim into first place!

COUNTING JAWS

Premieres July 29^th, Friday at 8:30pm UAE / 7:30pm KSA                                                                                                                                       

Shark encounters off the coast of California are skyrocketing. Now, a team of researchers investigate a newly discovered Great White Shark hot spot.