Shark Week 2017: Sunday Schedule Released; What To Watch July 23

It’s the most fin-tastic week of the year! Shark Week finally kicks off on Sunday, and Discovery has plenty of programming scheduled. While there will be rebroadcasts of older programs all day, Shark Week really kicks off Sunday night. The network has all-new specials, one of which will include a certain gold medalist, and “Shark After Dark” returns. Check out the primetime schedule below:

7 p.m. EDT — “Great White Serial Killer Lives”

This special investigates great white shark attacks off the coast of California, which happen every two years in October. Dr. Michael Domeier and experts Ralph Collier and Cal Lutheran team up and use satellite tags and DNA technology to figure out if it’s the same shark behind all the attacks.

8 p.m. EDT — “Phelps vs. Shark: Great Gold vs. Great White”

Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps stars in the main event on Shark Week’s opening night. In this special, he will travel to South Africa and use a monofin to race a great white shark. Phelps, who was already a fan of Shark Week, said the race was a dream come true.

READ: Michael Phelps To Race A Great White

“We learned a bunch,” Phelps told Vanity Fair. “For me, Shark Week has been a part of my life for the last 15 years or so, and being able to get in the water with these guys where I’m literally face-to-face with some of the most majestic creatures you’ve ever seen, that was a treat… I was literally within a foot of multiple massive sharks. That, you know, could be scary at times, but for me it was a dream come true.”

9:10 p.m. EDT — “Shark-Croc Showdown”

Dr. Mark Meekan and conservationist Paul de Gelder travel out to a remote wilderness called the Cobourg Peninsula in the Northern Territory of Australia. For Vulcan’s Global FinPrint project, Meekan will be counting sharks and species. Meanwhile, Paul de Gelder is there to see some fighting. He heard that sharks and crocodiles fight over sea turtles out there. He wants to see how sharks handle 14-foot crocs moving into their territory.

10:10 p.m. EDT — “Devil Sharks”

Did you know that volcanoes attract sharks? Apparently, the finned fish have been congregating around volcanoes and volcanic islands for centuries. Dr. Mike Heithaus will explore why. Of course, watching his search for answers will be interesting. He is going to dive in several volcanoes to learn more.

READ: See The Complete Shark Week 2017 Schedule

11 p.m. EDT — “Shark After Dark”

Director Eli Roth (“Hostel”) returns as host of the official Shark Week after show to highlight some of the best moments. On the opening night, “Veep” star Tony Hale will be the celebrity guest. He’ll discuss Michael Phelps’ race against a shark with cinematographer Joe Romeiro. Hale will also play a game using everyday objects to compare the size of several shark species.

Shark Week will air on Discovery Channel in the U.S. and around the world this week. For the first time ever, the franchise will not be delayed in international territories. It’s Shark Week in more than 220 countries and territories.