Discovery Channel Releases Full Shark Week 2023 Schedule

By Patrick Cavanaugh

We're less than two weeks away from the most wonderful time of the year, as Discovery Channel's Shark Week will be kicking off on Sunday, July 23rd. This year's event marks the 35th anniversary of the week-long programming, with the network enlisting Aquaman himself Jason Momoa to serve as the host of the exciting occasion. Discovery Channel has announced their schedule of all-new programs, which features brand-new events and also new chapters in ongoing and beloved series. In addition to airing on Discovery Channel, the new specials will also be available to stream on Max.

Per press release, "Jason Momoa, the fan-favorite actor, superhero, and conservationist who is dedicated to protecting and preserving the world's oceans, will host the 35th year of Shark Week, Discovery Channel's week-long celebration and investigation of shark habits and behaviors. Each night, beginning Sunday, July 23rd at 8 p.m. ET, Momoa will guide fans through nearly 20 new hours of television featuring the apex predators, including Belly of the Beast: Feeding Frenzy that will provide a first time, close-up look at a great white shark feast -- captured by researchers with cameras inside a whale carcass decoy -- or Cocaine Sharks that reveals what happens to sharks that possibly feed on cocaine and other illegal drugs dumped in South Florida waters.

"A top-rated programming event that attracted more than 28 million viewers last year, Shark Week also will spotlight innovative technology used to track and study unique shark species and their enemies. Showcasing the work of the world's most respected marine biologists and science institutions, Shark Week also will delve into mating and migration patterns -- showing rare footage -- as researchers follow the sharks to remote locations in South Africa and New Zealand.

"Following Shark Week, audiences can see Momoa in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, premiering in theaters on December 20th."

Scroll down to see the schedule of new Shark Week programming on the Discover Channel before the event starts on Sunday, July 23rd.

Sunday, July 23rd

Belly of the Beast: Feeding Frenzy premieres at 8 p.m. ET on Discovery

  • In a Shark Week first, researchers with cameras brave a great white shark feeding frenzy from inside a life-size whale decoy. Their findings could be the key to finding the biggest great white shark in South African history.

Jaws vs The Meg premieres at 9 p.m. ET on Discovery

  • The MEG, a massive shark measuring 50 feet and weighing 60 tons, was once feared as the most fearsome predator. It could devour a killer whale effortlessly, but new evidence suggests that its cousin, the great white shark, may have caused its extinction.

Serial Killer: Red Sea Feeding Frenzy premieres at 10 p.m. ET on Discovery

  • Shark attack investigator Brandon McMillan and cinematographer Fo Zayed travel to solve the mystery of what's behind three recent deadly shark attacks off of the posh beaches of Egypt's Red Sea.

Shark Week: Off the Hook premieres at 11 p.m. ET on Discovery

  • Dive into the biggest thrills and most terrifying moments from 35 years of Shark Week, celebrating behind the scenes of iconic moments and revealing never-before-seen footage of the fearless adventurers who get up close with the world's scariest creatures.

Monday, July 24th

Great White Fight Club premieres at 8 p.m. ET on Discovery

  • A team of experts venture into the treacherous waters of New Zealand to provide groundbreaking evidence that female white sharks unequivocally dominate the ocean, reigning as the ultimate controllers of its fierce battlegrounds.

Monsters of Bermuda Triangle premieres at 9 p.m. ET on Discovery

  • A healthy, 10-foot pregnant Porbeagle shark vanishes in the Bermuda Triangle. The evidence suggests an unknown, monstrous predator could be to blame. Dr. James Sulikowski and a team of scientists dive into the most mysterious part of the ocean to uncover the truth behind the attack.

Alien Sharks: Strange New Worlds premieres at 10 p.m. ET on Discovery

  • The tip of South Africa is a hotspot for unusual sharks that exhibit bizarre behaviors and unusual, otherworldly appearances. Wildlife biologist Forrest Galante explores stunning kelp forests and ocean depths never-before-seen by humans to study these extraordinary creatures.

Encores run at 11 p.m. ET on Discovery

Tuesday, July 25th

Mako Mania: Battle for California premieres at 8 p.m. ET on Discovery

  • Off the coast of Los Angeles, a new population of super makos challenge great whites for their hunting territories. Dr. Craig O'Connell, Fo Zayed, and Kendyl Berna deploy state-of-the-art technology to reveal their dominance and unveil the mysteries that have transformed these makos into some of the fiercest predators in the oceans.

Raiders of the Lost Shark premieres at 9 p.m. ET on Discovery

  • Shark expert Matt Dicken and Shark Week legend Dickie Chivell embark on a relentless quest to locate an elusive and colossal shark named Dutchess, who mysteriously vanished from Gansbaai, South Africa years ago.

Monster Hammerheads: Killer Instinct premieres 10 p.m. ET on Discovery

  • Dr. Tristan Guttridge believes Hammerhead sharks can reach monster sizes by hunting other species of sharks. The only way to prove his theory is to obtain tissue samples from some of the largest sharks on the planet.

Encores run at 11 p.m. ET on Discovery

Wednesday, July 26th

Air Jaws: Final Frontier premieres at 8 p.m. ET on Discovery

  • Shark filmmakers hunt for Air Jaws in New Zealand's hidden launch pad. Andy Casagrande and Jeff Kurr seek the second-ever breaching great white in these waters to uncover history-making secrets.

Florida Shark: Blood in the Water premieres at 9 p.m. ET on Discovery

  • Paul de Gelder dives into the Shark Attack Capital of the World to conduct experiments that will confirm what makes up these dangerous waters and determine methods to mitigate the risk.

Cocaine Sharks premieres at 10 p.m. ET on Discovery

  • For decades, rumors of cocaine-fueled sharks have spread throughout the fishing community. Shark expert Tom Hird travels to the Florida Keys to investigate what happens when the sharks come in contact with the most notorious drug on the planet.

Encores run at 11 p.m. ET on Discovery

Thursday, July 27th

Jaws in the Shallows premieres at 8 p.m. ET on Discovery

  • Shark Week veteran Dr. Riley Elliott has traveled all over to study great whites, which are now terrorizing the beaches of New Zealand. He sets out alongside his wife Amber Jones to find answers to protect his loved ones from the apex predators before it's too late.

Monster Mako: Fresh Blood premieres at 9 p.m. ET on Discovery

  • Twelve-foot-long monster mako sharks compete head-to-head with great whites for prey off the coast of California. Using a custom clear, acrylic diving bell, Dr. Austin Gallagher and legendary free diver Andre Musgrove get up close with both predators and track makos breaching eight feet out of the ocean.

Shark vs Snake: Battle of the Bites premieres at 10 p.m. ET on Discovery

  • Tiger sharks are washing up dead on the beaches of Western Australia with no sign of attack. Forrest Galante has a theory that deadly sea snakes are turning these apex predators to prey. In the battle of shark against snake, are snakes winning?

Encores run at 11PM ET/PT on Discovery

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Friday, July 28th

Tropic Jaws premieres at 8 p.m. ET on Discovery

  • When a 16-foot great white invades Indonesia's warm coast of Bali, it sparks fears that they are adapting to hunt the tropical beaches where millions of people swim every day. Dr. Craig O'Connell and Madison Stewart are on a mission to find Tropic Jaws and discover why they left the cold water environment that they have called home for thousands of years.

Deadly Sharks of Paradise premieres at 9 p.m. ET on Discovery

  • Scientists in South America are studying the shark species thought to be responsible for a spike in deadly attacks since 1990. Marine biologist Danni Washington and shark conservationist Paul de Gelder join a team tracking tiger sharks off a pristine tropical archipelago in Brazil.

Haunting at Shark Tower premieres at 10 p.m. ET on Discovery

  • News of a harrowing shark encounter at North Carolina's Frying Pan Tower sends underwater cinematographer Andy Casagrande and shark expert Kori Burkhardt on a dangerous quest to discover whether great white sharks are moving into the state's waters.

Encores run at 11 p.m. ET on Discovery

Saturday, July 29th

Dawn of the Monster Mako premieres at 8 p.m. ET on Discovery

  • A 14-foot giant mako shark is spotted in the waters of Portugal's Azores region. Underwater cinematographer Joe Romeiro and his marine biologist wife, Lauren, search the teeming depths around the ancient islands to capture the beast on film.

Mega Sharks of Dangerous Reef premieres at 9 p.m. ET on Discovery

  • The remote islands off the Eyre Peninsula in South Australia are believed to harbor some of the biggest white sharks on the planet. While local fishing reports suggest these giant sharks are still around, they are rarely seen.

Encores run at 10 p.m. & 11 p.m. ET on Discovery

Shark Week kicks off on Discovery Channel on Sunday, July 23rd.

Which show are you most looking forward to? Let us know in the comments!

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