Summer has officially started, which mean it's time for fun and sun and sharks — lots and lots of sharks. Discovery Channel's Shark Week 2016 premieres on Sunday, June 26 and, as in years past, it is brimming with new specials to help you discover these beasts of the ocean. Eli Roth already kicked off Shark Week 2016 with Sharktacular, which premiered on Sunday, June 19, but the official week of programming takes place from Sunday, June 26 to Sunday, July 3 and there's no better way to start your summer season than by watching this TV time-honored tradition. Discovery has been putting more of a focus on scientific education rather than just scare tactics in its recent Shark Week years and the schedule for Shark Week 2016 is no different.
Shark experts enter the water and viewers' homes to investigate the elusive animals that people are so intrigued by. With 16 programs over seven days, you better stock up on some LandShark beer (Dogfish Head works too) and plenty of snacks because you're going to be hunkering down to watch the best Discovery Channel has to offer you dealing with all things sharks.
Check out the complete list of Shark Week programming below and get ready to get your Shark Week on.
*Note all times are in ET.
Tiger Beach — Sunday, June 26 at 8 p.m.
If you've wanted to know about shark sex, then Dr. Neil Hammerschlag is here to help. He'll track tiger sharks around the Bahamas to see where these huge sharks mate.
The Return of Monster Mako — Sunday, June 26 at 9 p.m.
A team will search for a thousand-pound mako shark off the East Coast. They'll even be jumping in the water with these beasts, while you watch from the safety of your couch.
Isle of Jaws — Sunday, June 26 at 10 p.m.
Shark cinematographer Andy Casagrande discovers a group of great white sharks around an uncharted island. This program also offers a virtual reality element through the DiscoveryVR app.
Shallow Water Invasion — Monday, June 27 at 8 p.m.
Marine biologists will use a self-propelled shark cage to investigate my worst nightmare: Great whites moving into shallow waters at night.
Jaws of the Deep — Monday, June 27 at 9 p.m.
Jaws of the Deep is the journey to find the biggest great white shark out there, named Deep Blue, by using submarines. It comes complete with a great white shark attacking a sub!
Sharks Among Us — Monday, June 27 at 10 p.m.
For those of you who think that sharks are only terrifying predators, Dr. Craig O'Connell will try to change your mind by proving that sharks and humans can coexist.
Wrath of a Great White Serial Killer — Tuesday, June 28 at 9 p.m.
Shark Week continues to show that sharks are pretty much everywhere as this program follows a great white shark who is chilling in the Pacific Northwest.
Air Jaws: Night Stalker — Tuesday, June 28 at 10 p.m.
Although the Game of Thrones season finale airs on June 26, Shark Week will help you get your Cersei fix since actress Lena Headey narrates the eighth Air Jaws adventure about how great white sharks can hunt in total darkness.
Deadliest Shark — Wednesday, June 29 at 9 p.m.
Find out if the rare oceanic white tip sharks are actually the "World's Deadliest Shark."
Sharks Vs. Dolphins: Face Off — Wednesday, June 29 at 10 p.m.
If you're a dolphin fan, be wary since this show will focus on sharks attacking the far-friendlier ocean-dwelling animal.
Nuclear Sharks — Thursday, June 30 at 9 p.m.
Philippe Cousteau (Jacques Cousteau's grandson!) and his wife Ashlan Gorse Cousteau explore reef sharks in a marine environment that had previously been destroyed due to nuclear testing during the Cold War.
Jungle Shark — Thursday, June 30 at 10 p.m.
Follow young bull sharks traveling the Serena River in the rainforests of Costa Rica and discover how they somehow avoid the American crocodiles who reside there.
Shark Bait — Friday, July 1 at 9 p.m.
I anticipate that this will be the most difficult show for me to watch during Shark Week since it focuses on great whites hunting seals around Cape Cod. Don't hurt my beloved seals!
Blue Serengeti — Friday, July 1 at 10 p.m.
The title Blue Serengeti comes from biologist and shark expert Barbara Block who has been studying whites sharks in the waters around California for 27 years. She compares that underwater world, which is now more visible than ever due to camera technology, to the land-based ecosystem in Africa due to its vastness.
Sharksanity — Saturday, July 2 at 9 p.m.
As Shark Week wraps up, enjoy this "best of" episode.
The Killing Games — Sunday, July 3 at 9 p.m.
Just to leave you thoroughly scared until next Shark Week, the final scheduled program deals with great whites in Australia who come out of the water to snatch seals on shore. And apparently, this isn't a trait unique to great white sharks in Australia.
Shark Week will come and go before you know it, so make the most of Discovery's 2016 programming before you hit the beach.
Images: Discovery Channel (10)
