Shark Week 2026 Returns for 38th Year with Lineup Featuring K-Pop Stars, Prehistoric CGI, and Record-Breaking Stunts

Discovery Channel's Shark Week returns for its 38th consecutive year, launching Sunday, July 26 at 8 p.m. ET with a week-long programming marathon that runs through August 1.

The 2026 lineup brings together an eclectic mix of celebrity appearances, groundbreaking marine science, and audacious stunts. GRAMMY-nominated musician REI AMI and actor-comedian Ken Jeong headline the opening night special "K-Pop Shark Heroes," traveling across East Asia on a mission to transform perceptions of sharks through the lens of K-pop culture.

Among the scientific expeditions, shark researcher Dr. Neil Hammerschlag and Shark Week veteran Paul de Gelder pursue "Big Rose," a record-breaking great white believed to be among the North Atlantic's largest predators. Marine biologist Dr. Tristan Guttridge leads multiple investigations throughout the week, including an examination of whether great whites can be trained using Navy-pioneered dolphin training techniques, and a study of New Zealand great whites that appear to organize into competing family groups controlling seal feeding grounds.

The programming emphasizes cutting-edge visual storytelling. "Jurassic Sharks" marks a Shark Week first by using revolutionary CGI to resurrect prehistoric ocean species, merging historical expeditions with visual effects. "Jaws vs Orca" explores an emerging phenomenon where killer whales are targeting great whites and attacking sailboats in the Strait of Gibraltar, with sharks washing ashore bearing surgical precision liver removal.

Extreme sports enter the mix with Red Bull high diver Molly Carlson attempting the highest freefall dive in Shark Week history, leaping from a helicopter above the open ocean toward a plexiglass cage surrounded by reef sharks or a chum-filled feeding zone below.

Other highlights include investigations into mysterious shark attacks off Australia's coast, the discovery of massive 15 to 20-foot mako sharks off Southern California, great whites migrating farther up the East Coast than previously documented, and the physics behind thresher sharks' devastating tail strikes.

"Alien Sharks: Untamed America" celebrates America's 250th anniversary by showcasing the nation's most unusual shark species, from glowing swell sharks to elusive sawfish. Global explorer Josh Gates investigates historical shark encounters in "Expedition Unknown: Shark Secrets," including the USS Indianapolis feeding frenzy and Scotland's mysterious "Stronsay Beast" from 1808.

Additional specials examine forensic analysis techniques for identifying shark attack species, reports of radioactive predators near New York's nuclear dumping grounds, and a documentary following four devoted shark enthusiasts whose obsessions dominate their personal lives and finances.

Each night features programming at 8 p.m., 9 p.m., and 10 p.m. ET/PT, with encore broadcasts at 11 p.m., allowing viewers to catch multiple episodes throughout the week.