When Does Sharkfest Start? National Geographic’s 2020 Schedule Released

Sharkfest is swimming closer. National Geographic’s fishy celebration starts this month, and the full lineup reveals hours and hours of new programming.

Nat Geo’s Sharkfest (not to be confused with Discovery Channel’s Shark Week) will air over five weeks on two networks with 17 new programs premiering. The event starts on Sunday, July 19.

The 8th annual Sharkfest will start off on National Geographic for three weeks before moving to Nat Geo WILD on Aug. 9 for the final two weeks. Fin-tastic programming kicks off at 6 p.m. EDT with specials from the archives while new segments debut at 8 p.m. EDT most nights.

Check out the full Sharkfest 2020 schedule of new programs below:

“World’s Biggest Tiger Shark?”

National Geographic — Sunday, July 19, at 8p.m. EDT
Nat Geo WILD — Tuesday, August 11, at 9 p.m. EDT

Marine biologist Kori Garza and underwater cinematographer Andy Casagrande track Kamakai, one of the largest tiger sharks on record. Their search in French Polynesia takes them to a lagoon where they believe they’ve made a big discovery.

“When Sharks Attack”

National Geographic — Season premiere Monday, July 20, at 9 p.m. EDT

The reasoning behind shark attacks is examined in this six-episode series.

“Sharks vs. Dolphins: Blood Battle”

National Geographic — Monday, July 20, at 10 p.m. EDT
Nat Geo WILD — Sunday, August 9, at 7 p.m. EDT

Apparently, sharks and dolphins have a complicated relationship, and a team of experts in Shark Bay, Australia, want to learn more about shark and dolphin combat.

“Sharkcano”

National Geographic — Tuesday, July 21, at 10 p.m. EDT
Nat Geo WILD — Wednesday, August 12, at 7 p.m. EDT

Dr. Michael Heithaus wants to explore the strange connection between sharks and volcanoes.

“Secrets of the Bull Shark”

National Geographic — Wednesday, July 22, at 10 p.m. EDT
Nat Geo WILD — Wednesday, August 12, at 9 p.m. EDT

Experts consider bull sharks to be the most dangerous species of shark, and this special aims to figure out their hunting and migration patterns with the help of marine biologist Dr. Ryan Daly and a team of scientists.

“Most Wanted Sharks”

National Geographic — Thursday, July 23, at 10 p.m. EDT
Nat Geo WILD — Tuesday, August 11, at 7 p.m. EDT

Marine biologist and shark-suit inventor Jeremiah Sullivan “dives into the stories of the most sensational shark stars of all time,” according to a press release.

“50 Shades of Sharks”

National Geographic — Friday, July 24, at 10 p.m. EDT
Nat Geo WILD — Sunday, August 9, at 10 p.m. EDT

This special takes a look at the softer side of sharks. They can be fragile and clumsy when they aren’t attacking. This Sharkfest original shows them hunting, resting, cleaning and reproducing.

“Raging Bull Shark”

National Geographic — Sunday, July 26, at 8 p.m. EDT
Nat Geo WILD — Thursday, August 13, at 7 p.m. EDT

Bull sharks are willing to go head to head with great whites and tiger sharks, and their territory is widening as climate change warms the ocean. That means bull sharks might just be the new most dangerous shark.

“Sharks of the Bermuda Triangle”

National Geographic — Monday, July 27, at 10 p.m. EDT
Nat Geo WILD — Thursday, August 13, at 6/5c

The Bermuda Triangle has a lot of mythology around it, but it is also known for sharks. Marine biologist Dr. Austin Gallagher has been studying sharks there for years to find the secret breeding grounds of tiger sharks.

“Shark vs. Whale”

National Geographic — Tuesday, July 28, at 10 p.m. EDT
Nat Geo WILD — Tuesday, August 18, at 9 p.m. EDT

Ryan Johnson, a marine biologist based in South Africa, films a humpback whale being attacked and strategically drowned by a great white shark. Now, he follows humpback whales, mapping vulnerable spots on their migration route, and he will examine how and why great whites kill whales.

“What the Shark?”