Nat Geo’s SharkFest Dives Deep

This July marks the ninth annual SharkFest on National Geographic, with a super-sized six weeks of programming planned across four networks and Disney+ and Hulu.

“We’ve been putting on SharkFest for nine years, and we’ve continually strived to bring audiences bigger, better, bolder shark programming while honoring the science,” says Janet Han Vissering, senior VP of development and production at National Geographic Partners. “As we’ve expanded programming across more weeks, we’ve found that the appetite for shark content keeps growing. It’s tremendous having SharkFest across four networks, Disney+ and Hulu; it means that more people get to learn about these vastly misunderstood predators and see them in a whole new light.”

The summer event kicks off on Monday, July 5, with the marquee special Shark Beach with Chris Hemsworth. The one-hour documentary comes from Nutopia, which is behind such innovative factual programs as One Strange Rock. The special features conservationist Valerie Taylor, who takes the global movie star for a shark dive to experience firsthand the awe and beauty of nurse sharks, as well as other preeminent shark experts who are exploring new preventative measures and the latest technology to help stave off shark-human encounters.

“We here at Nutopia were working with Chris on our big Disney+ series Limitless, and then Covid-19 happened and our schedule, and Chris’s schedule, changed,” recalls Nutopia’s Arif Nurmohamed, executive producer, of how the project began. “We knew he couldn’t travel and was instead going to be at home in Byron Bay for the fall, we knew he was a very keen surfer and loved the ocean, and we knew he was a passionate environmentalist and conservationist, so the idea really grew out of that. While we were filming with him for Limitless in Norway, Chris talked about his surfing buddy Mick Fanning’s close encounter with a great white, so we were aware he was already interested in the subject matter. Nat Geo loved the idea of the show, as it was so obviously personal to Chris and would be a genuine journey of discovery for him—and was also something that we could safely film in his ‘backyard’ while in the midst of Covid.”

Like all productions over the last year, there were challenges to cope with in filming amid the pandemic. “Even under normal circumstances, the biggest challenge in a show like this is safety,” Nurmohamed says. “Chris actually learned to scuba dive so he could encounter huge gray nurse sharks in the flesh. So, the safety around that was very challenging; not just for Chris as a novice diver, but also for his dive partner, the legendary Valerie Taylor, who is 85!”

Hemsworth was also involved in tagging a massive great white shark. “That was pretty nerve-wracking, not least as there was no guarantee that we’d get a successful tag,” says Nurmohamed. “What’s important to understand is we didn’t stage any of these encounters, and the great white tagging was part of a genuine scientific program. Chris was so keen to explore the question of how we can keep safe from sharks while keeping sharks safe from us that he was happy to work with a stripped-down documentary crew. He ended up even occasionally carrying a camera kit—he’s a pretty strong guy, so seeing him carrying a camera tripod like it was an umbrella was pretty cool!”

“This show sets the tone of what all our shows offer, which is amazing stories with real science takeaways,” says Han Vissering. “We’ve also increased the number of women and diverse contributors, which I’m incredibly proud of. It represents the work our full content group is working toward.”

Across six weeks, SharkFest will feature over 21 hours of new premieres, 60 hours of enhanced content and a slew of archival footage. The programming will run across National Geographic, Nat Geo WILD and Nat Geo Mundo, and select series and specials will be made available post-premiere on Disney XD, Disney+ and Hulu.

Other special events include Shark Attack Investigation: The Paige Winter Story, in which experts unpack the details of Winter’s attack and the inspirational story of how the teen remains an advocate for sharks, and the six-part series Shark Attack Files, which investigates bizarre and fascinating shark behavior.

Further highlights on National Geographic include six new episodes of When Sharks Attack, which looks at why there are spikes in shark attacks; Croc That Ate Jaws, which finds out what happens when two of the deadliest predators face-off; Shark Gangs, revealing what is behind the shark behavior of hanging out in groups; and Rogue Shark?, exploring a series of shark attacks in Australia.

Disney+ will stream the content for fans to watch again beginning July 9. Joining the lineup of SharkFest originals headed to the streamer is the exclusive premiere of Playing with Sharks. Disney+ will also debut the best SharkFest programming from the previous eight seasons beginning June 25.

Disney XD gets in on the action, a network first, starting July 10. Across the network, 12 hours of shark-filled programming will premiere every Saturday and Sunday. The Disney XD original Eyewitness Shark: Fin Frenzy debuts July 11.

Hulu will also stream the shark action by featuring all six previous seasons of the hit show When Sharks Attack.

“The stunt is magical,” says Han Vissering. “It’s the perfect blend of amazing and often first-ever science married with entertaining, awe-inspiring sharks. It’s also a wonderful vehicle to showcase the work of scientists from around the world that really tell the story about the health of our oceans. Sharks are at the top of the food chain in the ocean, and when they are in peril, there’s a louder message that we need to understand and react to. We are hugely committed to this annual celebration, and we’re in production on this almost all year round. Nat Geo’s SharkFest shines a light on the misunderstood apex predators of the ocean through cinematic visuals and a science-first approach. At National Geographic, our goal is to bring viewers the world’s best premium science, adventure and exploration content, and stunts like SharkFest highlight our expertise and commitment to sharks and other animals.”

And having a marquee special like Shark Beach with Chris Hemsworth at the center of it makes it all the more special. “It’s rare you get a global superstar like Chris Hemsworth wanting to author a film like this, and to be so committed to a genuine journey of discovery,” says Nurmohamed. “He’s in practically every frame (that doesn’t have a shark in it!), and he really threw himself into the experience. He’s also a really funny guy; there’s a lot of humor in this film, as well as fascinating natural history and science—it’s an entertaining as well as exciting watch. I also think that unlike a lot of shark documentaries, sharks aren’t one-dimensionally painted as vicious villains in this film. It’s true that in 2020 there were record fatalities due to shark attacks in Australia. For Chris, this increased his urgency to understand not just why this happened, but also how we can live together without doing each other harm—to be safe from sharks but also to protect them from us. It’s a sad fact that there are 70 percent fewer sharks in our oceans than 50 years ago. As Chris discovers in the film, sharks are incredible, magnificent animals that deserve our respect and protection. It’s an amazing, gripping film because he encounters this firsthand. What I think is really special about this film was how personal it feels to Chris. As he is a super keen surfer, every time he goes into the ocean, he’s aware of the possible presence of sharks, so you can feel how invested he is in the subject matter. And it’s a great-looking film; as a Nutopia film, it is a really classy premium documentary.”