Shark Week
Shark Week is back and it’s making a splash starting July 20, 2025! Whether you’re a longtime fan of the deep or just here for the memes and marine mayhem, there’s no better time to dive into everything we love about sharks.
From great whites to hammerheads, these fascinating creatures have been swimming through our imaginations (and TV screens) for decades. It isn’t just about jaw-dropping documentaries anymore—it’s a full-on cultural wave, and you’re invited.
In celebration of the ocean’s most misunderstood stars, we’ve compiled a fun-filled article packed with fin-tastic shark quotes, punny shark jokes, and a shark trivia contest that’ll test even the saltiest sea dog’s knowledge.
Whether you’re into inspiring words from marine biologists or just want to laugh at a terrible “sharkitecture” pun, there’s something here for every kind of shark lover—kids, adults, and landlubbers alike.
So grab your snorkel (or your remote), and get ready to sink your teeth into some serious shark-themed fun. It’s educational, it’s entertaining, and it’s the perfect way to celebrate the coolest predators on the planet.
History
Shark Week first appeared on television screens in July 1988 as a modest effort to raise awareness about sharks. It has since grown into a full-blown cultural phenomenon.
Created by the Discovery Channel, Shark Week combines science and sensationalism to hook viewers—and it works. It quickly becomes a must-see summer TV show with its jaw-dropping footage, expert interviews, and dramatic narration (often paired with intense background music).
Over the years, the seven days have evolved from documentaries into an annual celebration of everything shark-related. Celebrities have begun diving in—literally—with people like Shaquille O’Neal, Rob Gronkowski, and even “Sharknado” star Ian Ziering joining the fun.
Along the way, the programming expanded to include shark-themed specials, deep-sea adventures, shark myth-busting, and even a few tongue-in-cheek titles like “Air Jaws.” It’s become the longest-running cable TV event in history, proving that people never get tired of these fascinating fish.
Despite its entertainment factor, it has always kept conservation at its core. Many specials highlight the importance of sharks in ocean ecosystems and the threats they face due to overfishing and climate change.
So while viewers might come for the thrills (and maybe a few over-the-top reenactments), they often leave with a deeper appreciation for sharks—and that’s the real legacy.
Best Shark-Themed Movies
Here’s a list of the 10 best shark-themed movies, combining action, suspense, cult status, and even a little comedy. Whether you’re in the mood for thrills or campy fun, these films will leave a bite—so to speak.
1. Jaws (1975) The original classic that started it all. Steven Spielberg’s masterpiece is as suspenseful now as it was nearly 50 years ago. “You’re gonna need a bigger boat” is still iconic.
2. The Shallows (2016) A tense, beautifully shot survival thriller starring Blake Lively as a stranded surfer facing off with a relentless great white.
3. Deep Blue Sea (1999) A campy, action-packed flick about genetically enhanced sharks (because science!) that delivers both laughs and scares.
4. Open Water (2003) Based on a true story, this minimalist indie film follows a couple accidentally left behind during a scuba diving trip. Realistic and deeply unsettling.
5. 47 Meters Down (2017) Two sisters get trapped in a shark cage on the ocean floor, with air running out and great whites circling. Claustrophobic and nerve-racking.
More Shark Films To Watch
6. The Meg (2018) A giant prehistoric shark? Check. Jason Statham punching it? Double check. It’s a big-budget thrill ride with its tongue firmly in cheek.
7. Sharknado (2013) So-bad-it’s-awesome! A tornado full of flying sharks wreaks havoc in L.A. It’s ridiculous, hilarious, and has somehow spawned multiple sequels.
8. Soul Surfer (2011) A dramatic and inspiring true story about pro surfer Bethany Hamilton, who lost her arm in a shark attack and courageously returned to the sport.
9. Bait (2012) A tsunami traps shoppers in a flooded supermarket… with a great white. Think Jaws meets The Mist—only wetter.
10. Shark Tale (2004) An animated, family-friendly take on undersea life, starring Will Smith, Jack Black, and Angelina Jolie. It’s not scary, but it’s shark-themed fun for all ages.
Best Songs
To create the right shark vibe, you need some tunes. Here are a few of our favorites.
1. “Mack the Knife”
- Date of Publication: 1928 (originally from The Threepenny Opera)
- Most Well-Known Singer: Bobby Darin (1959 version is the most famous)
- Lyric Referencing Shark:
“Oh the shark has pretty teeth dear, and he shows them pearly white…”
2. “Baby Shark”
- Date of Publication: Popularized in 2016 by Pinkfong (traditional origins are older)
- Most Well-Known Performer: Pinkfong
- Lyric Referencing Shark:
“Baby shark, doo doo doo doo doo doo…”
3. “Fintastic”
- Date of Publication: 2019
- Most Well-Known Performer: Andrew & Polly
- Lyric Referencing Shark:
“There’s a shark in the water with a fin on top…”
4. “Shark Attack”
- Date of Publication: 1983
- Most Well-Known Performer: Split Enz
- Lyric Referencing Shark:
“Love is a punch / Shark attack!”
5. “Sharks”
- Date of Publication: 2019
- Most Well-Known Performer: Imagine Dragons
- Lyric Referencing Shark:
“When I feel like a shark that’s been caught in the net…”
Best Books
Here are seven of the best shark-themed books, ranging from thrilling fiction to fascinating nonfiction. Whether you’re into nail-biting adventure, science, or inspiring real-life stories, there’s a shark book here with serious bite. 🦈📚
1. Jaws by Peter Benchley (1974) The novel inspired the blockbuster film. A gripping thriller about a great white shark terrorizing a beach town—and the men who try to stop it. Suspenseful and surprisingly deep (pun intended).
2. Close to Shore by Michael Capuzzo (2001) A historical nonfiction account of the real-life 1916 New Jersey shark attacks that inspired Jaws. Combining true crime, marine biology, and cultural history, it’s a worthy watch.
3. The Devil’s Teeth by Susan Casey (2005) An immersive, beautifully written nonfiction adventure into the Farallon Islands, where great white sharks rule and a handful of obsessed scientists study them.
4. Shark Drunk by Morten Strøksnes (2017) Part travelogue, part science book, this quirky and poetic story follows two friends attempting to catch a Greenland shark in the Arctic. Funny, philosophical, and fascinating.
5. Demon Fish: Travels Through the Hidden World of Sharks by Juliet Eilperin (2011) A globe-trotting look at sharks and the people who interact with (and exploit) them—scientists, poachers, divers, and conservationists.
6. Tracking Sharks: A Journey Through the Ocean’s Apex Predators by OCEARCH & Contributors (2023) A visually stunning, educational deep dive into shark tagging and conservation, based on real-time data from global shark trackers.7. Sharks in the Time of Saviors by Kawai Strong Washburn (2020) Not a shark book in the literal sense, but a magical realist novel with strong ties to Hawaiian mythology and a boy saved by sharks—haunting, lyrical, and powerful.
Shark Captions
Looking to have some fun with your shark photos. Here are some fun, catchy, and family-friendly shark captions perfect for your posts during the week or whenever you feel a little “fintastic.”
- Just when you thought it was safe to scroll again… 🦈 #SharkWeek
- Serving looks sharper than shark teeth. 😎 #JAWsome
- Feeling fintastic and ready to bite into the weekend! 💙 #SharkVibes
- Keep calm and swim on. #SharkLife
- This week? Brought to you by dorsal fins and drama. 🐋 #DeepDive
- This Week: the only time it’s cool to be totally obsessed with fish. #OceanObsessed
- Suns out, fins out! ☀️🦈 #BeachVibes
- I’m just a little chummy today. #SharkHumor
- Swimming into your feed with a serious bite. #FinFluencer
- Life’s better under the sea—with sharks. 🐬 #MarineMagic
- That’s one sharp outfit. #SharkStyle
- Warning: may contain traces of shark jokes. #SorryNotSorry
- Sharks have been around for 400 million years and still look this good. #TimelessPredator
- This is your daily reminder that sharks are cooler than most people. #Facts
Fun Captions
- No bones, just vibes. 🦈 #CartilageCrew
- Sea-riously, could life get any better? #Fincredible
- Bite-sized fun coming right up!
- Shark mood: silently judging from below. 😐 #OceanDrama
- Catch me on SharkTok. 🎥🦈 #ViralFin
- Too glam to give a dam(n reef).
- Sink your teeth into something great today. #MotivationMonday
- I’m not scary, I’m just misunderstood. #SharkPerspective
- Born to swim, forced to post. #SharkContent
- Salty, stylish, and swimming in confidence. 🌊 #SharkMood
- Swipe left to avoid the jaws.
- Looking for love and chum.
- This Week = my Superbowl. 🏆 #Fintastic
- Wanna hang out? I’m great with current events. 🌊 #OceanPuns
- Sea you later, I’m off to hunt facts.
- Even sharks need self-care. Bubble bath, but make it saltwater. 🛁 #SelfCareShark
- Not all heroes wear capes. Some wear fins. #OceanAvengers
- Float like a jellyfish, bite like a shark. #OceanPower
- Took a deep dive and came up with a selfie. 📸 #UnderwaterGlowUp
- Bite me—in a nice, educational, kind of way.
- Don’t hate me because I’m toothy.
Shark Quotes
Here are some interesting, inspiring, and sometimes humorous quotes about sharks, featuring a mix of scientists, conservationists, authors, and pop culture. They are perfect for presentations or just a deeper appreciation of these incredible creatures.
- Sharks are the lions of the sea. They glamorize the oceanic glory.
Munia Khan - Sharks are beautiful animals, and if you’re lucky enough to see lots of them, that means you’re in a healthy ocean.
Sylvia Earle - Sharks are like the wolves of the sea—they maintain the balance.
Brian Skerry - I’ve seen sharks in the ocean, it hasn’t made me get out of the water. That’s for sure.
Luke Hemsworth - The chances of being bitten by a shark are less than being struck by lightning, hit by a coconut, or bitten by a New Yorker.
Peter Benchley - Without sharks, you take away the apex predator of the ocean, and you destroy the entire food chain.
Peter Benchley - Sharks have been swimming the oceans for over 400 million years. They’ve survived mass extinctions, but now they face their biggest threat: us.
Rob Stewart - We kill thousands of sharks each hour, yet they’ve killed fewer humans in a century than bees do in a year.
Dr. Sylvia Earle
Good Quotations
- The only thing to fear about sharks is their disappearance.
Dr. David Shiffman - A shark in the water is worth ten on the beach.
Maritime Proverb - The shark is the perfect predator—elegant, efficient, and misunderstood. Andy Casagrande
- I’m not afraid of sharks. I’m afraid of not respecting them.
Diving motto - Sharks are the guardians of the ocean. When they thrive, the seas are alive.
Paul Watson - Sharks don’t sleep with one eye open—they swim with both eyes wide open. Always moving. Always aware.
Unknown - To fear sharks is natural. To understand them is essential.
Ocean Ramsey - A world without sharks is a world that has lost its balance.
Dr. Boris Worm - If we saw lions being slaughtered just for their paws, people would be outraged. But we do it to sharks for their fins every day.
Julie Andersen - I’ve never been bitten by a shark—but I’ve had plenty of close conversations.
Rodney Fox - You don’t need to be a shark expert to protect them—you just need to care.
Ali Hood (Shark Trust) - Sharks are not monsters—they are masterpieces of evolution.
Unknown
Funny Shark Jokes
- Why don’t sharks like fast food?
Because they can’t catch it! - What do sharks say when something’s gnarly?
“Totally JAW-some!” - Why did the shark cross the Great Barrier Reef?
To get to the other tide. - What do you call a shark that delivers toys at Christmas?
Santa Jaws. - What’s a shark’s favorite sci-fi show?
Shark Trek: The Next Generation. - Why are sharks great at telling stories?
They have killer hooks. - What’s a shark’s favorite sandwich?
Peanut butter and jellyfish. - Why did the shark blush?
Because it saw the ocean’s bottom. - What do you call a group of sharks that start a band?
The Rolling Jaws. - What’s a shark’s favorite subject in school?
Fin-ance. - Why do sharks live in salt water?
Because pepper water makes them sneeze!
Amusing Riddles
- What’s a shark’s favorite game?
Swallow the leader. - How do sharks stay in shape?
By doing cardio… and plenty of jawgging. - What do you call a lazy shark?
A great yawn shark. - Why did the shark get a job at the aquarium?
He wanted to work from “home.” - What did the shark say when it ate the clownfish?
“That tasted a little funny.” - What kind of shark likes to gamble?
A card shark. - Why don’t sharks like playing cards in the ocean?
Because there are too many cheetahs in the water. - What is a shark’s favorite holiday?
Sharksgiving! - What do you call a shark who tells tall tales?
A great white fibber. - What happens when sharks go on a diet?
They get a little bitey. - What do sharks do on their phones?
Scroll through Fin-stagram. - What’s a shark’s favorite musical instrument?
The bass, obviously.
Hilarious Puns
- Why did the shark start a podcast?
To get his voice out in the stream. - Why did the shark get grounded?
He was acting too chummy with his dinner. - What do sharks do when they get bored?
They go looking for porpoise. - What do sharks read when they’re bored?
The Whale Street Journal. - What do you call a stylish shark?
Jaw-dropping. - What did the shark say at the motivational seminar?
“Sink your teeth into life!”
Trivia Quiz
Sink your teeth into these questions!
What is the name of the largest species of shark alive today?
Whale shark
How many teeth can a great white shark have during its lifetime?
Up to 3,000 teeth in multiple rows, constantly replaced
Which sense do sharks rely on the most when hunting?
Smell—they can detect a drop of blood from miles away
How long have sharks existed on Earth?
Over 400 million years—long before dinosaurs
What is the name for a group of sharks?
A shiver (It seems very appropriately named!)
True or false: All sharks need to keep swimming to stay alive.
False—some can rest on the ocean floor and pump water over their gills
What unusual thing has been found in the stomach of a tiger shark? License plates (and even tires!)
How many known species of sharks are there today?
Over 500
What’s the name of the prehistoric giant shark that went extinct millions of years ago?
Megalodon
True or false: Sharks have bones.
False—they have cartilage, like your nose and ears
Q & A
What’s one important reason sharks are essential to the ocean ecosystem? They keep prey populations in check, which helps maintain balance and biodiversity
True or false: Sharks are fish.
True. Sharks are fish, not mammals.
How do scientists tell the age of a shark?
By counting the growth rings on its vertebrae, like tree rings
About what percentage of shark species are considered dangerous to humans?
Less than 10%—only about a dozen species pose any real threat
What helps sharks camouflage themselves from both prey and predators? Countershading: dark on top, light on the bottom
How fast can sharks replace lost teeth?
Some species replace teeth every week or two
Why do shark attacks on humans usually occur?
Mistaken identity—humans look like seals or prey from below
Tough Trivia
What do you call a baby shark?
A pup
What role do sharks play in ocean food chains?
They’re apex predators that help regulate marine populations
Which hemisphere of the ocean do the majority of shark species live in—Northern or Southern?
Southern—especially near coral reefs and tropical waters
What’s one reason sharks are considered “K-selected” species in ecological terms?
They mature late, have few offspring, and invest more in each one
How many dorsal fins do most sharks have? One or two?
Two—one larger in front and a smaller second dorsal fin behind
Why do sharks sometimes attack reflective objects like jewelry in the water?
Because the glint mimics the flash of fish scales
Learn more about sharks at NOAA Fisheries.
Closing Thoughts
Just remember: no matter how deep we dive into shark facts and fun, this week is all about respect for the oceans, their creatures, and the vital role sharks play in keeping it all in balance. Let’s make this week the most jawsome one yet!
So, if our trivia, puns, jokes, books, songs, movies, and riddles don’t get you in the mood, I don’t know what will. Have some fun with it!
By Michael O’Halloran
Michael O’Halloran founded Greeting Card Poet in 2014 and has worked as its publisher and editor ever since. He has co-authored four books on kids’ trivia and four on coaching. Previously, Michael was the president of Magnetic Poetry. He has invented and brought to market over 75 new gift and toy products, most of which involve wordplay. Mike is married and a father of four daughters.
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