Ah, summer. The time of year when the sun is out, the temperatures rise and the beach is calling. But just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water… SHARKS!
If you’re anything like me (or definitely my brother), Steven Spielberg’s classic Jaws, based on Peter Benchley’s novel of the same name, kept you out of the ocean for many years. Even the classic Universal Studios ride was enough to produce nightmares!
There’s something about a massive sea creature with sharp teeth and those eyes that strikes just the right amount of terror in unsuspecting swimmers worldwide. As Discovery Channel celebrates Shark Week, its annual programming block of all things shark-y, we’ve rounded up some of the greatest Great Whites (plus other sharks and large sea creatures) found in books, movies and more.
Classic Fiction
These epic quests pit man versus beast on the open water.
True Stories
Sometimes true events are more chilling than fiction.
- Indianapolis: The True Story of the Worst Sea Disaster in U.S. Naval History and the Fifty-Year Fight to Exonerate an Innocent Man
- Open Water
- Soul Surfer: A True Story of Faith, Family, and Fighting to Get Back on the Board
Kid-Friendly Movies
These flicks show that not everything in the ocean is scary…
Grown-Up Movies
…but most of the time it is, as best portrayed on the silver screen.
- Deep Blue Sea
- The Shallows
- Sharknado/Sharktopus/Dinocroc (and all the others…)
TV Series
A world of oceanic adventure awaits on the small screen.
Have a great summer…and watch out for sharks!