This June, set sail for the most un-fin-believable SHARKFEST to discover even more groundbreaking insights about the ocean’s most fearsome predator. Nat Geo’s annual must-see summer event will splash off with Marvel superhero Anthony Mackie navigating the waters of his hometown in New Orleans to learn why shark sightings are increasing in local fishing communities, plus ultra-athlete and shark advocate Ross Edgley will attempt to pit his mind and body against four of the ocean’s most formidable sharks. Then, sink your teeth into more fin-tastic programming to explore a newly discovered great white shark nursery off the coast of New York City, unravel in forensic detail WHY sharks attack, investigate unusual shark encounters around the world, and learn more about the biggest tiger sharks on Earth dominating the shores of Australia. SHARKFEST is the de-FIN-itive destination for everything about these jaw-some predators — exclusively on National Geographic, Nat Geo WILD, Nat Geo Mundo, Disney+, Hulu and ESPN2.
ABOUT OCEANXPLORERS:
From National Geographic Explorer at Large James Cameron (“Avatar”), BBC Studios Natural History Unit (“Blue Planet II”) and OceanX comes the most ambitious ocean adventure ever filmed – OCEANXPLORERS. The National Geographic series takes audiences aboard the OceanXplorer, OceanX’s state-of-the-art scientific research and exploration vessel, to investigate the farthest frontiers of the world’s oceans, 80% of which are entirely unknown. Armed with advanced technology, a hand-picked team of intrepid explorers and scientists, National Geographic Explorers and other ocean experts embark on a global odyssey to solve some of the ocean’s greatest mysteries through the lives of its animals and their ecosystems. The team included deep sea researcher Zoleka Filander, shark biologist Melissa Cristina Márquez, ocean technology innovator Eric Stackpole, and ex-Royal Marine special operations, Aldo Kane. The ship sets sail on a grand adventure – traveling to the depths of the Atlantic in the Azores, diving into the shallows of the Bahamas and warm waters of the Caribbean before embarking north to the frigid arctic shores of Svalbard, Norway. OCEANXPLORERS provides an immersive look at an underwater world of wonder with incredible discoveries that push the boundaries of exploration and our understanding of the ocean like never before.
OCEANXPLORERS is co-produced by BBC Studios Natural History Unit and OceanX for National Geographic. For Lightstorm Earth, James Cameron and Maria Wilhelm are executive producers. Roger Webb and Orla Doherty are executive producers for BBC Studios. Ray Dalio, Mark Dalio, Vincent Pieribone and Joe Ruffolo are executive producers for OceanX. For National Geographic, Kevin Tao Mohs is executive producer, and Tom McDonald is executive vice president of Global Factual and Unscripted Content. The series was created in partnership with the National Geographic Society with a mission to use the power of science, exploration, education, and storytelling to illuminate and protect the wonder of our world.
ABOUT MELISSA:
Melissa Márquez is a marine science education expert, currently finishing her doctoral degree at Curtin University. Born in Puerto Rico and raised in Mexico, Melissa has worked at the forefront of marine science education and communication for over a decade, hard at work combatting the misinformation that’s rampant in ecological fields — and paving the way for Latina women like her in science.With her TEDx talks garnering thousands of views in their first weeks alone, Melissa is a prominent thought-leader and has engaged at global forums such as the National Academy of Science, Oxford, University of Western Australia Global Leader Experience, and National Science Policy Symposium, among others. Named one of Sachamama’s “Los 100 Latinos Más Comprometidos con la Acción Climática” in 2021, “Forbes 30 Under 30: Science” finalist in 2020, and named in InStyle’s 2021 “50 Badass Women” list, Melissa has been touted as “the most enthusiastic shark scientist” people ever meet. She has been featured in NPR, Allure, InStyle, GQ, Seeker, Popular Science, and appeared on Disney+, BBC, National Geographic, Discovery Channel, Acciona, and Good Morning America.