Shark Week: Monday's Watch List

By Brett Neal 

Finally. The wait is over. It's SHARK WEEK!!!!!

There are three things that are awesome that every human being in the world can agree on: 

1) Animals

2) Die Hard

3) Shark Week

All Shark Week does is pretty much combine Animals with Die Hard. If you don't watch Discovery Channel during Shark Week, it's because you've never watched a minute of Shark Week. For all who are interested, here are my recommendations for this weeks Discovery Channel lineup.

Monday

MEGALODON: THE MONSTER SHARK LIVES

6:00 pm

Discovery brings SHARK WEEK viewers on a search for a massive killer Great White Shark responsible for a rash of fatalities off the coast of South Africa. One controversial scientist believes that the shark responsible could be Megalodon, a 60-foot relative of the Great White that is one of the largest and most powerful predators in history. Our oceans remain 95% unexplored, and this massive prehistoric predator has always been shrouded in secrecy, but after a rash of newly discovered evidence, authorities are forced to investigate and hunt for the predator long thought to be extinct. A crew of scientists and shark experts examine evidence and fearlessly seek answers to the many questions surrounding one of the last great mysteries of the deep ocean while creating the largest chum slick in history.

Why BPN is excited: 

By just reading the synopsis, I already believe there is still a Megaladon out there in our world's ocean. For those of you who use your John McClain side of the brain more than your Steve Irwin side, a Megaladon is  like a giant Great White Shark. Imagine "Jaws"... now triple that. In Summary:

Now, Let's compare teeth: on the left we have the tooth of a Great White, on the right we have that of a Megalodon.

I'm curious to see what proof these scientists have of Megalodon's existence. Odds are they lead you on an hour long mystery only to have you decide for yourself if the ancient shark really exists. But if in fact there is proof of a Megalodon alive today, then this show not only serves as entertainment, but as a warning for all who decide to swim in deeper waters.

RETURN OF JAWS

8:00 pm

Another first this year is Shark Cam, a robot submarine that is used to track sharks in a new and exciting way. This SHARK WEEK special includes spectacular footage of Shark Cam following Great White sharks living and hunting off the shores of Cape Cod, the setting for the Jaws film franchise. Footage of a 17-foot Great White is seen at close range over a five hour period as the shark hunts seal colonies, comes close to shore in less than four feet of water and takes a chilling interest in one specific area.

Why BPN is excited: 

Great White Sharks are the biggest sharks alive today (pending Megalodon show evidence), so it's only natural we start Monday off with some big shark shows. However, these can get repetitive. Every year since I can remember, Discovery has shown some Great White Shark 

show centered on seal hunting. But this year we have a twist (cue M. Night Shyamalan.)

This year's Great White filming takes place on the same body of water as Peter Benchley's novel and Steven Spielberg's 1975 motion picture, "Jaws". In years past, every Great White Shark documentary I've watched (and I've seen my fair share) have been shot in 3 locations: Australia, South Africa, and California. Until now, I didn't know Great Whites actually hung out in the Massachusetts bay. I'm from Texas and I still think that is a little too close to me. Turns out, there's more bad news:

Apparently the Gulf Coast is not immune to this shark species either. Now excuse me while I go sell my family's bay house.

VOODOO SHARKS

9:00 pm

We investigate Bull Shark populations that have moved beyond oceans and U.S. coasts to the bayous of Louisiana. Nicknamed ‘Voodoo Sharks’ by local shrimp fishermen, these Bull Sharks have the extraordinary ability to live in both salt and fresh water environments and they show up by the hundreds in the bayous of Louisiana. There are many a fishermen who have encountered these dominant and startling predators in the shallow Louisiana waters. But while Bull Sharks in the Bayou are a known phenomenon, locals tell of an even larger shark lurking in swamps. Is this phantom shark the stuff of Cajun legend, or do these waters hold a brand new species?

Why BPN is excited: 

It's Monday and the Bull Shark already gets his time to shine. For all of you who are tired of Great White Sharks jumping 15 feet in the air eating seals, then this is your show. Don't get me wrong, the Bull Shark is nothing to be trifled with. In fact, experts agree that the Bull Shark the most aggressive of all the shark species, even more so than the Great White. Anyone who vacations on the Gulf Coast should familiarize themselves with this aggressive predator.

What intrigues me most about the show isn't the "phantom shark" lurking in the swamps. It's the potential interviews. Lord knows they'll be interviewing a couple of 65 year old fishermen named Beaudreaux and Thibodeaux who have more fingers than they do teeth. Then there will be that 45 year old Cajun woman who swears on her mama's grave she's seen the "durn thang". Lets not forget that 85 year old black gentleman who talks with his eyes closed as he recounts the first time he seen the fish, mumbling of course so nobody at home understands a word. Without knowing it, I just described the entire cast of Duck Dynasty.

I'll get back to yall on Tuesday morning.