Investigation Shark Attack

Diving with sharks is big business for eco-tourism. And several incidents in the Bahamas—in both the wild and at a giant open-air aquarium—threaten the country’s most popular attraction. Experts at the Bimini shark lab reveal how human interactions are actually changing shark behavior. And the team reveals the many factors that confuse sharks into mistaking humans for prey.

Encounters with great white sharks are on the rise in California, and the team investigates why. Shark conservation has led to a population boom and, with warming waters, adaptable sharks keep moving further north. Drone footage provides a fascinating new window into shark behavior and proves just how often sharks are in close proximity to humans—without incident.

A rash of attacks in the Gulf of Mexico spark a major investigation. The team studies these super-rare encounters from a shark’s perspective. Aerial footage proves bull sharks are behind these ‘investigatory bites’, but it turns out humans aren’t the target at all. Several theories soon emerge, including climate change, a population boom, and a bull shark’s amazing superpowers.

The team investigates a string of incidents to discover what makes Florida’s New Smyrna Beach the ‘shark bite capital of the world’. A shark-bite database points to the likeliest culprit. An expert reveals how sharks sense rather than ‘look for’ prey. And the team discovers that hoards of surf-seeking humans are haplessly wading into a feeding frenzy that’s been going on for eons.

The team investigates incidents off Maui in peak tourist season to discover why the island has more shark encounters than the entire Hawaiian chain. Turns out Maui is home to a massive reef and vast shallow-water platform. This rich habitat is a hub for hungry migrating sharks. Ancient Hawaiians knew all about shark season—which coincides with sun-seeking humans and migrating humpback whales.