It's summer and you know what that means — it's time to blast that air conditioner and get acquainted with all the sharks that Discovery Channel's Shark Week has to offer. On Sunday, June 19, actor/director Eli Roth hosts Sharktacular, a preview of the big bites for the 2016 TV event. But when is Shark Week 2016 exactly? According to the Discovery Channel, those dates would be June 26 through July 3, which is precisely one week of shark-filled fun. Can't wait? Sharktacular will help ease you into Shark Week as the official countdown to the programming block's debut this year and will feature sneak peeks, fan-submitted videos and some of the best sharks in the history of the event, according to Discovery Channel.
Roth will have another go around at hosting Shark After Dark for 28th iteration of Shark Week, according to Deadline. In an essay for Vanity Fair last year, Roth wrote that he loved getting up close and personal with the sharks when the network asked him to swim with them. "Everyone kept asking me if I was scared or told me I was insane, but honestly, I felt like a kid going to Disney World for the first time," he said. And now, the Discovery Channel will be offering something similar. A network press release states that this year's programming will be the first in Shark Week's history to offer an immersive experience through virtual and augmented reality tactics, meaning that you can literally swim with the sharks while using Android, iOS, DiscoveryVR.com, and Discovery’s Facebook and YouTube channels. After all, Yahoo! reported that this year's theme is "shark n' awe."
Here's what else lies ahead for Shark Week 2016 so you can plan accordingly.
Tiger Beach
Premiering on June 26. Follow tiger shark expert Dr. Neil Hammerschlag as he tags these predators in Tiger Beach and attempts to find out more about the sharks' mating and female reproductive systems, reported the Discovery Channel.
The Return Of Monster Mako
The search for a "gander" — a sly thousand-pound mako shark — is on and a team is set to document a "live predation" of the creatures, jumping in with them at night, according to the Discovery Channel press release. See how they survive when the show airs on June 26.
Isle Of Jaws
The network's official description says that this program will explore a cluster of great white male sharks who have gathered on an uncharted island, like a Spring break bachelor party, but where are the female sharks? Isle of Jaws wants to find out on June 26. This is one of the specials that offers the immersive VR experience.
Air Jaws: Night Stalker
According to Entertainment Weekly, Game of Thrones' Lena Headey will narrate this documentary about how great white sharks hunt in pitch black darkness on June 28.
Sharks Vs. Dolphins: Face Off
Did you know that sharks and dolphins don't get along? Me neither. EW reports that the special will look at the water dwellers' "time-tested, ever-hostile relationship" on June 29.
Wrath Of A Great White Serial Killer
Like the influx of hipsters moving to Portland, great white sharks are also finding themselves drawn to the Pacific Northwest, according to EW. Perhaps the sharks are really into the coffee shops and the art scene. Or, you know, it's something scientific. Find out on June 28.
Looks like Shark Week 2016 will be filled with chills, thrills, and lots of mysteries to solve.
Image: Discovery Channel
