Local News

Shark Week 2022 takes a bite out of Cape Cod

The new season of Discovery Channel’s Shark Week will highlight great white sharks off the Cape coast.

By Morgan Rousseau

July 24, 2022

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Love them, fear them — or both — it’s undeniable that great white sharks are as much a part of Cape Cod’s identity as traffic and lobster rolls. So it’s fitting that this year’s Shark Week will spotlight the area’s iconic predators.

Discovery Channel’s Shark Week, which is in its 34th year, kicks off Sunday at 8 p.m. and runs through July 30.

One of the shows, called “Monsters of the Cape” follows scientists who tested shark deterrents in the hope of preventing future attacks on beachgoers. 

A Discovery Channel promo of the show says: “Shark Week Veterans Dr. Craig O’Connell and Mark Rackley dive into the great white-infested waters off of Cape Cod looking to test cutting-edge shark deterrents to help keep the waters of the Cape safe for both beachgoers and sharks, before it’s too late.”

Speaking to the Boston Herald, O’Connell said he got within 10 feet of a 15-foot great white while filming in Chatham waters last October. He told the news outlet the shark deterrent barrier worked, showing promise.

“It was probably one of the most thrilling things I’ve ever done,” he told the paper. “I was in pure amazement. It was so graceful, and cruised right by the barrier.”

“Monsters of the Cape” airs Saturday, July 30, at 8 p.m. on Discovery and discovery+.

Shark Week 2022 spotlights Arthur Medici fatal shark attack

Shark Week will also feature a discovery+ exclusive that focuses on Cape Cod. “Great White Intersection,” which starts streaming on Saturday, focuses on the fatal shark attack of Arthur Medici, 26, a Revere surfer who in 2018 was killed by a great white off of Newcomb Hollow Beach in Wellfleet. It was Massachusetts’ first fatal shark bite in 82 years.

The show’s promo says: “Following the tragic and fatal shark attack of Arthur Medici in September 2018, Great White Intersection takes an in-depth look at the resurgence of great white sharks off the beaches of Cape Cod as the local community struggles to come to terms with a new reality.”

Scientists estimate hundreds of great white sharks swim off the Cape’s beaches during the summer and fall as they hunt the waters’ bountiful seal population.

This year’s Shark Week will feature Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as the master of ceremonies, as well as special guests like Tracy Morgan, Sal Vulcano, James Murray, Brian Quinn, and the cast of “Jackass.” A full schedule of programs is available at discovery.com/sharkweek.