Shark Week and the Shark Champions Who Educate Us

This is it, shark fans! This week is one of the most anticipated weeks of the year for ocean lovers everywhere. It’s finally Shark Week. Experience seven days of fascinating shark species and the many variations they have in size, shape, and behaviors. Learn about their mysteries, their habits, and their impact on ocean ecology. You can catch Shark Week on the Discovery Channel or Discovery+, where each day new and fascinating episodes will feature sharks from around the world.

Sharks are often misunderstood creatures. They are vilified based on their oftentimes fearsome appearance. Shark Week was created to correct misconceptions and recognize the positive impacts sharks can have on the marine ecosystem. The reality is they benefit the oceans in many ways. Here are just a few:

• Sharks keep the marine ecosystem in check as apex predators
• Sharks store carbon in their bodies and increase the ocean’s ability to store it
• Sharks aid coral reef preservation by keeping smaller prey populations under control

Those of us who follow sharks are raving fans who appreciate the beauty, the mystery, and the power of sharks. And then there are those who go above and beyond merely being fans. They become champions and a voice for these fascinating creatures.

A champion for sharks

Kinga Philipps is a well-known journalist and explorer. Her journalistic experience includes coverage of a broad range of social and environmental reporting. But she also has a passion for adventure. And for sharks. She has traveled the world for 20 years scuba diving, free diving, surfing, and swimming with sharks as writer, producer, and on camera journalist for an impressive list of networks, including CBS, NBC, ABC, Universal Sports, Discovery, and National Geographic to name a few. Kinga is a well-known host on Discovery+ Shark Week.

A recent adventurous shark interaction placed her alongside three female tiger sharks. Her knowledge and experience alongside other local divers familiar with those specific animals enabled a peaceful interaction. “There is a balance when spending time with animals like this...respect and awareness are paramount,” she wrote in her video description. And despite the lack of any aggression, she mentioned, “Yet we never treated them as pets or forgot their role in the ecosystem as apex predators.”

This year Kinga brings Shark Week a whole new segment on tiger sharks and more. Kinga’s Discovery+ exclusive Shark Week segment “Tiger Queen” will air this Wednesday, July 14. Watch a recent KTLA channel 5 interview with Kinga, where she describes Shark Week 2021 footage, episodes, and locations, including her own “Tiger Queen” episode:

US based viewers can watch Shark Week episodes on Discovery Channel or Discovery+, or streaming services such as Sing TV, Fubo TV, Philo TV, Hulu with live TV, YouTube TV, and AT&T TV Now.

Have a passion for sharks? We do too! Our SlipIns Diveskins are available in tiger shark and leopard shark patterns, and whale shark too (whale sharks are not actually sharks) so you can dive deep in your favorite shark styles.