Get ready to be bitten by Sharkfest

Mark your calendar, on July 16 because Nat Geo Wild is presenting SharkFest – this year bigger and better and with more teeth than ever.

This specialised, focused programming has become a terrific way for audiences to immerse themselves in one subject and this year, Nat Geo Wild is bringing creatures from the deep straight into your living room.

“What is better than one day of shark TV? A week,” says Geoff Daniels, executive vice-president and general manager of Nat Geo Wild.

“We are literally jumping the shark this year by serving a super-sized feeding frenzy of jawsome shark specials, and by taking the first bite, we’re giving Nat Geo Wild viewers a week of the shark shows they love.

“Why wait, when we need to inspire everyone to save our sharks now, more than ever? With so much SharkFest, we are going to need a bigger network.”

Additionally, National Geographic Kids has released The Ultimate Book of Sharks by Brian Skerry. It allows kids – and their parents – to dive into the world of sharks. Get up close to learn the truth behind these fantastic, ferocious creatures.

From the teeniest dogfish to the ever-feared great white, the book features every species of shark on the planet, with awesome photos, fascinating facts, the latest science, and first-hand stories of real-life encounters with these incredible creatures.

Learn how sharks live, how they eat, the challenges they face and whether or not you are actually on the menu. Nat Geo Wild’s SharkFest aims to raise awareness about these animals that depend on a healthy planet in order to survive.

As part of its overall effort to protect the earth, National Geographic recently launched Planet or Plastic? – a multiyear initiative to reduce the amount of single-use plastic polluting our world’s oceans. Doing so not only will benefit the thousands to potentially millions of marine animals that become entangled in, are suffocated by or ingest plastic each year, but will also contribute to the overall health of the planet’s marine ecosystems and all who rely on them.

• Catch all the underwater action on Nat Geo Wild (DStv 182) from July 16.

Some of the highlights from the sixth annual SharkFest

Shark v Tuna (July 16 at 6pm)

Witness a clash of oceanic titans in the remote crystal-blue battlefields of Ascension Island. Yellowfin tuna, mako and tiger sharks are all apex predators, but to these sharks, yellowfin tuna are the ultimate prize. The tuna are often faster, fitter and bigger than the sharks, reaching well over 113kg. Any shark hunting these beasts needs brute strength and a little bit of luck to capture one. But when a third player enters the game, the scales tip. Who will win?

Big Sharks Rule (July 18 at 6pm)

It is an ocean of giants. South Africa has a dramatic, rocky coast that is raked by churning currents. Warm, cold, rich and murky water collide to create Shark Central, with enough food to sustain the biggest. Giant sharks like great whites, tiger sharks, bull sharks, ragged tooth sharks, and whale sharks all reign supreme in these waters.

700 Sharks (July 17 at 6pm)

Imagine diving into the ocean only to discover that you are surrounded by one of the largest shark frenzies on the planet. Well, that is exactly what these researchers did in the name of science. In Polynesia, the largest school of sharks — about 700 — patrols the waters en masse. Follow an international team of scientists as they study these magnificent creatures at night, when they are most aggressive, to discover their mysterious hunting strategies and social behaviours. The result: incredible new behaviours never seen before, or caught on camera.

When Sharks Attack: Anatomy of a Shark Attack

The show will run from July 16-20 July where experts break down stories from shark attack survivors, and the science behind shark behaviours and attack methods, to reveal how to handle an attack. Without a doubt, sharks are the most notorious and feared predators in the ocean. In recent years, the number of shark attacks around the world has risen, and understanding how these predators think and behave is more important than ever.