The Shark Week 2018 Schedule Has Some Seriously Unexpected Guests
Well, folks, it's that time of year again: Shark Week returns this Sunday, and for its 30th anniversary, it's going big.
The schedule for this year's eight-day fin-fest includes 22 new specials, nightly installments of wrap-up talk show Shark After Dark, a special Shark Week edition of Cash Cab, and reruns of past Shark Week programming. Among the highlights are another edition of Shark Week staple Alien Sharks, a dangerous face-off between Bear Grylls and, well, a swarm of sharks in Bear Vs. Shark, and a fascinating hunt for a 20-plus-foot Great White in Cuba's Secret Shark Lair.
There's also a stacked roster of unexpected guests: Ronda Rousey will dive shark-infested waters sans cage; Guy Fieri will stop by the Bahamas to taste-test some local shark dishes; and Aaron Rogers, Lindsey Vonn, and Robert Gronkowski will team up with marine biologists to get the scoop on shark preservation. Oh, and did we mention Shaq is hosting?
"Full disclosure, thought I was hosting Shaq week, but that doesn't exist," he says in a promotional clip.
See the full 2018 lineup below.
Alien Sharks Greatest Hits, Sunday at 7 p.m. ET
Explorers dive into the waters of the Arctic and the piping hot cauldrons of the Pacific to investigate a few of the world’s strangest creatures living in the deepest areas of the sea.
Bear VS Shark, Sunday at 8 p.m. ET
Man vs. Wild host Michael Grylls survived some of nature’s harshest conditions, but how will he fare when plunged into the depths of the ocean to survive among the sharks? Discover channel will put the adventurer’s survival skills to the test when he takes a dive with the ocean’s number one predator in this hour-long spot.
Shaq Does Shark Week, Sunday at 9 p.m. ET
Ex-Marine and Navy vet Rob Riggle sets out to help Basketball legend Shaquille O’Neal overcome his fear of sharks before he takes his first deep dive.
Ronda Rousey Uncaged, Sunday 10 p.m. ET
The UFC Hall of Famer claimed victories over plenty of fighters, but she’ll face off with perhaps her biggest opponent yet when she goes swimming—uncaged—with Mako sharks. Luckily she’ll have expert Navy diver and shark attack survivor Paul De Gelder on hand to coach her through the match.
Shark After Dark Live, Sunday at 11 p.m. ET
The live late-night series will feature celebrity guests and experts to discuss all things sharks.
Monster Tag, Monday at 8 p.m. ET
Dr. Mauricio Hoyos and shark experts Partington and Brandon McMillan take a journey to the sea floor off Guadalupe Island to find the famed 20-foot-long great white shark, Deep Blue. Their trip marks the first manned expedition to the deepest parts of Guadalupe’s sea in search of the notorious shark.
Cuba’s Secret Shark Lair, Monday at 10 p.m. ET
Researchers set out to explore the waters of Cuba in hopes of finding a giant hammerhead dubbed The Queen and a great white shark said to be as big as El Monstruo, a great white discovered in 1945 that was the largest to ever be recorded in Cuban waters.
Shark After Dark Live, Monday at 11 p.m. ET
A few shark experts and celebrity guests are slated to discuss the shark shows and most impressing facts of the night during the late-night talk show.
Guy Fieri’s Feeding Frenzy, Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET
The Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives host travels to the Bahamas with his son Hunter Fieri to check out the favorite local cuisine made with a variety of shark species.
Laws of Jaws, Tuesday at 9 p.m. ET
Deep sea divers Liz Parkinson, Mike Dornellas and Nick LeBeouf team up with oceanic filmographer Andy Casagrande to study shark behavior and determine why shark attacks are suddenly on the rise.
Air Jaws: The Hunted, Tuesday at 10 p.m. ET
Shark expert Alison Towner travels to South Africa to investigate the 2017 deaths of five great white sharks that washed up on shore, likely eaten alive.
Shark After Dark Live, Tuesday at 11 p.m. ET
A roundtable of celebrity guests and shark experts weigh in on the night’s shark coverage.
Air Jaws: Back From the Dead, Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET
After visiting the shores of South Africa to watch great white sharks preying on seals 17 years ago, Jeff Kurr and Chris Fallows are back together again to discover how the great whites in New Zealand go after their kills.
Shark Tank Meets Shark Week, Wednesday at 9 p.m. ET
The renowned sharks of ABC’s popular series will join in on the Shark Week fun for the first time ever while deciding whose shark conversation project is worth a $50,000 donation.
Sharkcam Steakout, Wednesday at 10 p.m. ET
Dr. Greg Skomal and the Woods Hole team join forces with Doc Gruber and Dr. Tristan Gutteridge to study the hunting and feeding habits of bulls and hammerhead sharks living in the Bahamian waters.
Shark After Dark Live, Wednesday at 11 p.m. ET
A panel of shark experts and celebrity guests rehash the shark shows of the night during the live talk show.
Sharkcam Strikes Back, Thursday at 8 p.m. ET
The Woods Hole team remembers all the fascinating shark discoveries they’ve made over the last six years.
Sharkwrecked, Thursday at 9 p.m. ET
Watch as Paul de Gelder and James Glancy spend 48 hours shipwrecked in shark-infested waters with no food.
Tiger Shark Invasion, Thursday at 10 p.m. ET
Dr. Neil Hammerschlag and Joe Romeiro visit the Galapagos to study tiger sharks and learn how the fish helped repopulate the islands’ surrounding waters.
Shark After Dark Live, Thursday at 11 p.m. ET
Celebrity guests and shark enthusiasts mull over all the shark facts revealed during the night's programming.
Cash Cab Shark Week Edition, Friday at 7 p.m. ET
Cash Cab host Ben puts a few sailors and nautical experts in the hot seat as they answer shark and sea-related questions in pursuit of winning a cash prize.
Megalodon: Fact Vs. Fiction, Friday at 8 p.m. ET
Scientists and experts share their thoughts on how Megalodon, the big-tooth prehistoric shark that lived some 26 million years ago, would have existed in today’s waters.
Bloodline: Spawn of Jaws, Friday at 9 p.m. ET
Dr. Craige O’Connell investigates the sharks off the coast to Long Island in effort to determine if any of the great whites are related to the natural born killers that inspired the blockbuster hit Jaws.
Great White Shark Babies, Friday at 10 p.m. ET
Dr. Mauricio Hoyos and researched Michelle Jewell and Toby Daly-Engel take a trip to Guadalupe to determine the birthing habitats of pregnant great whites.
Return of Mega Shark Saturday at 9 p.m. ET
Researchers go to New Zealand to look for giant great white sharks lurking in deep water off the coast and revisit the most exciting events and discoveries from the past to help guide their search.
Sharks Gone Wild Saturday at 10 p.m. ET
A look at everything that has happened in the world of sharks this year -- the unbelievable viral videos, the biggest news stories, and the latest cutting-edge shark science.
Naked and Afraid of Sharks Sunday at 9 p.m. ET
Stranded on a barren island in the middle of the most shark-infested waters on earth, five Naked and Afraid all-stars must survive for 14 days, exclusively on what the ocean provides.