Shark Weeks bites again

      Discovery Channel's annual predator-extravaganza has begun. Shark Week kicked off a couple of new specials last night, and will continue throughout the week. Why are sharks the only animals to get such a feature on the channel? Perhaps it's their mysterious nature. Since they live below the water, humans don't often get to see them. Whatever the reason, the week is always popular for the network, and this year should be no exception.

      Last night, I checked out Ultimate Air Jaws. It is a sequel to previous specials, Air Jaws: Sharks of South Africa and Air Jaws II: Even Higher, both of which were also rerun yesterday. In this newest installment, the cameras return to watch the Great Whites leap from the water to hunt seals once more. Only this time they've brought a special camera called the Phantom, which is basically a high-speed that slows the footage down enough for us to observe the giant creature's attack in much more detail. This time, the crew also followed the sharks during their migration. It was exactly what you'd expect from what I described, or, in a word, sweet. As in awesome.

      Another new special this week is Into the Bite, where the cameras actually make it into the sharks' mouths (we hope) to get a view we will never see (we hope). Also on the docket are Shark Attack Survival Guide, Day of the Shark 3, and Shark Bite Beach. Then late night host Craig Ferguson gets into the water with Shark Bites: Adventures in Shark Week, which will feature clips from the last 20 years of Shark Weeks. Of course, plenty of old favorite specials will also air, and Discovery channel hits like Mythbusters and Dirty Jobs have Shark Week episodes. In short, there is plenty to keep you occupied this Shark Week.

      Shark Week is presented on the Discovery Channel.