The 2024 installment of National Geographic\u2019s annual Sharkfest kicked off at the tail end of June, with a whopping 26 hours of new and original programming about one of nature\u2019s most awe-inspiring and ancient predators to debut across \u200b\u200bNat Geo, Nat Geo WILD, Nat Geo Mundo, Disney+, Hulu and ESPN2.<\/p>\n
\u201cSharkfest was kicked off with the need to have shows that were more critically based on real behavior and scientific facts,\u201d says Janet Han Vissering, senior VP of development and production at National Geographic, on the development of the event. \u201cOur shows have been entertaining and informing audiences for over 12 years, and there\u2019s still so much more to uncover about these incredible and crucial creatures we share our home with.\u201d<\/p>\n
Filling tons of programming real estate with brand-new, entertaining, fresh and educational content is not an easy feat, but Han Vissering notes that \u201cyear-round research and cutting-edge technology\u201d allow for \u201cno shortage of fantastic shark content.\u201d<\/p>\n
This year\u2019s slate is led by a New Orleans-focused special helmed by Marvel hero Anthony Mackie and a Big Wave Productions-produced challenge title with sports star and shark advocate Ross Edgley. \u201cStar power is a key ingredient to ensuring each season of Sharkfest feels fresh and exciting to audiences,\u201d says Han Vissering. That notoriety allows the programming to \u201ccontinue to deliver scientific firsts, as well as raise awareness about these incredibly important creatures and how the impacts of climate change are affecting their species.\u201d<\/p>\n
On his special, entitled Shark vs. Ross Edgley<\/em>, Edgley says, \u201cI\u2019ve always been fascinated by the ocean and all its inhabitants as a child, but this turned into an obsession in 2018 when I set the record for the world\u2019s longest staged sea swim.\u201d He continues, \u201cI spoke to the wildlife geniuses at National Geographic, and the idea for Shark vs. Ross Edgley <\/em>was born.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat we tried to do in this documentary is push the boundaries of investigative journalism by literally following in the footsteps of four incredible sharks,\u201d adds Edgley. \u201cWe haven\u2019t seen anyone combine shark science and sports science to try and bring ocean conservation to a new audience.\u201d<\/p>\n On Nutopia\u2019s Shark Beach with Anthony Mackie: Gulf Coast<\/em>, Han Vissering says: \u201cAnthony Mackie brought such a unique and personal perspective to Shark Beach<\/em> this season. We shot in his hometown of New Orleans, in waters he grew up boating and fishing in and still fishes in today, where he connected with leading scientists and local fishermen to learn more about the future of shark conservation in the region.\u201d<\/p>\n Following their Nat Geo premieres, Shark vs. Ross Edgley<\/em> and Shark Beach with Anthony Mackie: Gulf Coast<\/em> have become available on Disney+ and Hulu. Nat Geo WILD will air Shark Beach <\/em>on August 2 and Shark vs. Ross Edgley<\/em> the next day.<\/p>\n Finding the balance between keeping the familiar legacy of Sharkfest and pushing the boundaries of the factual genre every year is key to making the slate stand out. \u201cWhile we continue to expand the boundaries of our understanding of sharks and their habits, they remain excitingly unpredictable,\u201d explains Han Vissering. \u201cThis keeps our teams and scientists on our toes\u2014or fins?\u2014which ensures thrilling content for viewers.\u201d<\/p>\n Staying true to Sharkfest\u2019s mission of education, too, is crucial. Han Vissering says: \u201cThe goal has always been to deliver fact-based programming that is entertaining and informative. To deliver this type of engaging content, the Nat Geo production team stays in lockstep with the experts, and they are constantly updating each other, which helps inform planning and filming.\u201d<\/p>\n National Geographic Society (NGS) Explorer and marine biologist Dr. Diva Amon, who features in the Arrow Media-produced eight-parter Shark Attack 360<\/em>, notes that blending entertainment and education is \u201ca hard balancing act.\u201d<\/p>\n Dr. Amon calls Shark Attack 360 <\/em>\u201cinformative, insightful and scientific,\u201d made with the pursuit of that balance in mind. \u201cIt helps the audience to understand the natural behavior of sharks; they ultimately don\u2019t target humans. The series is also visually stunning because we use incredible technology, imagery and expertise to investigate [shark and human] interactions.\u201d<\/p>\n Successful nature content must be \u201crooted in scientific facts,\u201d notes Dr. Amon, with \u201ceverything informed by scientific evidence.\u201d She says the second tenet is the need \u201cto be rooted in empathy, whether that is empathy for the animals that we are working with, the ecosystems or the people who are depending on and interacting with them.\u201d<\/p>\n Shark Attack 360<\/em> debuted this week on Nat Geo, Disney+ and Hulu and is set to land on Nat Geo WILD on August 1.<\/p>\n Sharkfest\u2019s Dr. Mike Heithaus, an NGS Explorer and dean of the College of Arts, Sciences & Education (CASE) and professor in the department of biological sciences at Florida International University, says, \u201cI am always trying to make sure that we are bringing the excitement of the animals and our work to audiences so they are engaged and entertained. At the same time, I am always making sure that we are only conveying accurate, interesting and important information.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThis involves a lot of work before the shows, even reaching out to colleagues to hear about their latest work and discoveries,\u201d adds Dr. Heithaus. \u201cThe production team and scientists are always collaborating to make sure we get the information right.\u201d<\/p>\n So, what should audiences take away from Sharkfest?<\/p>\n \u201cWhat people don\u2019t understand is sharks are vital to all marine ecosystems around the world,\u201d says Edgley. \u201cShould we remove them, life in the ocean would cease to exist as we know it.\u201d<\/p>\n Sharks are \u201ca keystone species, responsible for keeping ocean ecosystems in balance,\u201d says Dr. Amon. \u201cWe need to be rethinking our relationship with these incredible animals because that\u2019s ultimately going to benefit us and benefit all life on planet Earth.\u201d<\/p>\n Dr. Heithaus adds, \u201cCoupled with that, sharks are in trouble\u2014their populations have been massively overfished\u2014and they are not mindless killing machines. Sharks need our protection.\u201d<\/p>\n From this, producers can glean another lesson: the most vital takeaway from Sharkfest is, ultimately, that the mission gives the event its mass appeal. Content with a greater intention will always shine through. \u201cSharks have been historically misunderstood and widely feared,\u201d says Han Vissering. \u201cWe see Sharkfest as an opportunity to help destigmatize and better understand these critical players in ocean ecosystems.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Janet Han Vissering and shark experts share what to expect throughout Nat Geo\u2019s month-long 2024 Sharkfest.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3087,"featured_media":21677,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"pmpro_default_level":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[79,69],"tags":[1009,3010],"class_list":["post-21676","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","","category-features","category-top-stories","tag-national-geographic","tag-sharkfest","pmpro-has-access"],"yoast_head":"\n