Calling all shark lovers, next month ushers in the arrival of SharkFest. National Geographic's flagship special Shark Beach was teased today with a trailer featuring Thor (or at least his equally mighty alter-ego Chris Hemsworth), who will be diving deep with shark experts. Together, they will discover all there is to know about one of the ocean's greatest dwellers. Shark icon and conservationist Valerie Taylor joins Hemsworth, taking him on a journey under the sea to observe nurse sharks in their natural habitat.
In the trailer, we see the glorious landscape of the island, which give way to the mountainous shoulders of Hemsworth as he pulls on a diving suit. After a brief introduction to Taylor and her expertise, they dive under the water into a beautiful reef of colorful, tropical fish and other marine life, and then we get to see the massive nurse shark come idly drifting by. Chris Hemsworth has only a few moments to show his awe of the animals before the clip ends.
The purpose behind National Geographic's Shark Beach episode is to bring the plight of these animals to a wider audience. Conservationists and scientists have been trying for years to work out how sharks and humans can co-exist, as hunting, climate change and human destruction of their habitat has reduced the number of some shark populations almost to the point where they will struggle to recover.
In light of his current surge in popularity thanks to his Marvel movie appearances, which will be continuing in Thor: Love and Thunder next year, Hemsworth is as good an advocate to have on the side of the sharks as anyone. The pull of a celebrity is always helpful to draw people into programs like this that would otherwise be passed by in favor of some relatively unimportant reality TV show. Hemsworth's fans will probably not want to miss the sight of him squeezing himself into a wetsuit and going for a splash in the water, and if that is what it takes to bring the issues threatening these beautiful creatures, then who are we to argue.
The special week, which will feature over 21 hours of new shows, archive footage and over 60 hours of enhanced content which will be broadcast on National Geographic Channel, Nat Geo WILD, Nat Geo Mundo, Disney XD, and Disney+. The week also includes Shark Attack Investigation: The Paige Winter Story, which focuses on the most well-known stark attack victim now, who still passionately stands up for the animals that almost killed her. There is also Croc That Ate Jaws, Shark Gangs, Shark Attack Files and Rogue Shark.
You can join Chris Hemsworth as he goes for dip when Shark Beach With Chris Hemsworth arrives on National Geographic on July 5th, at 9pm Eastern. When Sharks Attack airs prior to this at 8pm. Most of the SharkFest content will be available on demand from Disney+ from July 9, as well as available to re-watch on Disney XD.