This image released by Discovery Channel shows a shark breaking through the water in a scene from ‘Shark Lockdown’, which premieres on Sunday, August 9, one of three programs launching Shark Week 2020 on the Discovery Channel. (Discovery Channel via AP)
TO Newsroom
UPDATED 4:25 PM PT – Friday, August 7, 2020
Shark activity is increasing as a result of declining human presence in oceans worldwide. The filmmakers and scientists responsible for “Shark Week 2020” content all saw a dramatic increase in the number of sharks they came across while filming.
Researchers believe that this increase can be attributed to a five decibel decrease in ocean noise, which occurred when boats and shipping disappeared during the pandemic.
“It really gave researchers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to study the sharks and their behavior without the impact of human activity on the water,” Discovery Channel producer Howard Swartz said.
This image released by Discovery Channel shows a scene from ‘Sharks of Neptune,’ which airs Thursday as part of Shark Week 2020 on Discovery Channel. (Discovery via AP)
Meanwhile, beach closures have resulted in fewer shark attacks in the US since the beginning of the pandemic.
In 2019, there were 101 shark attacks in the US So far this year there have only been 14.
