Shark Week: The Podcast

FACT: Statistically, only 1 in 11.5 million people are bitten by sharks each year, a rare occurrence that contrasts sharply with the fearsome reputation sharks have in popular culture. FICTION: Hollywood often portrays sharks as relentless man-eaters, lurking in the waters to attack unsuspecting swimmers. Join host Kasha Patel as she dives into the reality of shark attacks, debunking myths with Be...

FACT: Marine ecologists have shown that sharks play a crucial role in maintaining the balance of ocean ecosystems, preventing the collapse of marine biodiversity. FICTION: A world without sharks would have no impact on ocean life. Join host Kasha Patel as she dives into the latest research on the ecological importance of sharks, exploring the potential consequences of their decline with Dr. Tiara...

FACT: Marine biologists have documented the peculiar characteristics and survival strategies of deep-sea sharks such as the cookiecutter, goblin, and megamouth. FICTION: Alien sharks are extraterrestrial creatures that have come to Earth to observe human activity. Join host Kasha Patel as she dives into the latest research on these bizarre deep-sea sharks, exploring their unique adaptations and ec...

FACT: Paleontologists have unearthed fossils and analyzed bite marks to better understand the feeding habits and behaviors of the ancient Megalodon. FICTION: Megalodons still roam the deep oceans today, waiting to surprise unsuspecting swimmers. Join host Kasha Patel as she dives into the latest research on Megalodon, exploring its hunting strategies and ecological impact with Dr. Emma Kast who st...

FACT: Scientists have studied and observed shark shivers to ascertain whether their social behavior is driven by mutual companionship or survival instincts. FICTION: Sharks go on roadtrips just like humans. Join host Kasha Patel as she delves into groundbreaking research on shark social behavior and chats with Dr. Yanis Papastamatou, the esteemed head of the Predatory Ecology and Conservation Lab...

FACT: Sharks have been around longer than dinosaurs. We can make guesses and similarities and analogs of what could have happened, but we're never going to know how life started on Earth. FICTION: Sharks are aliens! Join host Kasha Patel as she traces the ancient origins of sharks, their evolution, their cultural significance, genetic insights, and theories about life's cosmic origins. Gavin Naylo...

FACT: Many products today are inspired by sharks, from medical research to Olympic swimsuits. FICTION: In the 1940s, the military created a shark-man mega soldier by injecting shark DNA into its bravest recruits. Kasha unpacks biomimicry with the help of her guest, Steve Kessel, Director of Marine Research at the John G. Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, Illinois. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy f...

FACT: Sharks can sense electrical currents in saltwater, where salt ions conduct electricity. This ability allows them to detect the electrical signals generated by the movement of animals, including potential prey...FICTION: In 1937, off the coast of Bondi Beach a shark read the thoughts of an environmental engineer. Your host, Kasha Patel, imagines how a shark could read a human’s mind and the s...

FACT: Some female sharks can reproduce without a fertilized egg; it’s a phenomenon called parthenogenesis. FICTION: A Coney Island fortune teller predicts a shark cloning miracle. Your host, Kasha Patel, imagines what would happen if spectators witnessed a shark give a virgin birth and explores the science behind the various ways sharks reproduce.     A full guide to shark reproduct...

FACT: Abandoned bricks of cocaine wash ashore every year off the coast of Florida from drug smugglers evading the Coast Guard. FICTION: We need to be worried about cocaine fueled sharks. Your host Kasha Patel imagines what would happen if sharks consumed that cocaine and explores the science behind it.  “Behavioral screening for cocaine sensitivity in mutagenized zebrafish,” by Tristan Darlan...

Dive into the captivating world of sharks with "Shark Week: The Podcast" from Discovery Channel, where host Kasha Patel unveils the truth behind centuries-old myths and legends surrounding these enigmatic creatures. Join us as we navigate through imaginary tales followed by a factual exploration, separating shark fact from fiction in each episode. Shark Week, hosted by John Cena, is back July...

In this season’s final episode, Luke welcomes Emmy-winning filmmaker and conservationist Shawn Heinrichs to discuss the state of sharks in the ocean. They go over how both legal and illegal fishing operations are decimating the ocean’s wildlife, what it’s like to have a hit put out on you for exposing criminal enterprises to the world, and whether or not NOAA’s data on “sustainable” fishing can re...

Luke Tipple speaks with Dr. Riley Elliott, a marine biologist from New Zealand who recently tagged baby great white sharks, which are rarely seen in the wild. They talk about how climate change is affecting shark pupping grounds, why fishers are wrong to think there are “too many sharks,” and about Dr. Elliott’s Great White App, which allows users to track great white sharks in the ocean.  Lu...

Host Luke Tipple is joined this week by renowned Harvard professor, Dr. Avi Loeb, who recently led a deep-sea expedition to discover if evidence for advanced alien life crash-landed off the coast of Papua New Guinea in 2014. They discuss the recent Congressional UFO hearings, how the last seventy years of research into extraterrestrial life has been potentially misguided, and the challenges of sea...

Luke Tipple invites “The Lost Shark Guy,” Dr. Dave Ebert, who is personally responsible for finding dozens of shark species that were either previously unknown to science or thought to be extinct. He and Luke discuss why shark populations are a direct indicator of how healthy the ocean is, how to find undiscovered sharks, and why diversity in sharks is essential for marine life. Find episode trans...

This week, we do things a little differently, as Shark Week’s Luke Tipple invites Adventure Aaron into the podcast studio to talk about his incredible near-death experience on the open water. Adventure Aaron gets into what it takes to circumnavigate the world in an ocean rowboat, what it’s like to stare eye-to-eye with an oceanic white tip that probably wants you for lunch, and everything else tha...

Shark Week’s Luke Tipple tackles the question “How can I work with sharks?” alongside two experts in the field – and their answers are not always the obvious ones. Luke is joined first by Kelly Link, Associate Curator of the Georgia Aquarium who talks about what it’s like to be an aquarist, how it differs from field work, and how to get yourself noticed. The second guest is Dr. Neil Hammerschlag w...

Pop superstar Kesha joins Shark Week’s Luke Tipple on the podcast to discuss her love of sharks, how her music funds her addiction to diving, and how you can find inner peace while under the water. And at the end, our researcher Sierra drops in to tell us that some sharks have teeth in their eyes.  Find episode transcripts here: https://shark-weeks-daily-bite.simplecast.com/episodes/superstar-kesh...

Shark Week’s Luke Tipple is joined by longtime filmmaker and Emmy-award-winner Andy Casagrande. He’s filmed and appeared in dozens of shark documentaries, and might just be the most prolific shark cinematographer in history. He talks with Luke about his career, the contentious term “shark porn,” and the future of the industry. And at the end, our researcher Sierra talks about the unprecedented way...

Luke Tipple is joined by Shark Week host and all-around adventurer Forrest Galante. They discuss his upcoming special Alien Sharks: South Africa , Forrest’s remarkable talent for finding creatures once believed to be extinct, and how many shark species may still be unknown. Then, our researcher Sierra stops by to tell us about the world’s most prehistoric shark. Shark Week continues all week long...

The discussion turns this week to sharks’ intelligence, and how it varies among species. Host Luke Tipple is joined by Dr. Tristan Guttridge, a behavioral ecologist and veteran of Shark Week whose research has tackled the social smarts, and even personalities, of different kinds of sharks. He sheds light on why we shouldn’t just think of them as dumb fish with rows of razor-sharp teeth. And at the...

Host Luke Tipple welcomes two guests to discuss how researchers can kill sharks in the name of science – and whether they need to at all. The first is Dr. Neil Hammerschlag, shark researcher and founder of Atlantic Shark Expeditions, and an expert on data-gathering in the field. He’s followed by explorer Fred Buyle, a world-record-breaking freediver whose innovative methods of shark tagging are ex...

 Host Luke Tipple welcomes a pair of divers – Leigh Cobb and Josh Eccles – who have taken their passion for sharks and turned it into a dangerous career. They explore what it takes to swim with sharks for a living, then go into common myths and facts on what to do in the open water – if you ever come face to face with a shark. Plus, our researcher Sierra drops by with a new species of shark discov...

Luke Tipple is joined by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author of the Outlaw Ocean Ian Urbina, who has dedicated his life to chronicling crime on the high seas. They discuss the state of our world’s oceans, how nearly 20% of your seafood was likely caught illegally, and the surprising link between modern slavery and the killing of sharks. Find episode transcripts here: https://shark-weeks-d...

Shark Week’s Luke Tipple welcomes professional photographer Mike Coots, who lost his leg to a tiger shark attack when he was only 18. But after his horrific injury, he came to love sharks, and became a lifelong advocate for their safety. Luke and Mike discuss his career, his love for photographing sharks, and how to positively approach the big life-changing moments that can happen to any of us. Fi...