“[Shark Week] is a great idea. It's measurably … the largest increase in Americans paying attention to any ocean science or conservation issue of the whole year,” Shiffman says. “And they fill it with just nonsense. Sometimes it's harmful nonsense. Sometimes it's just useless nonsense.”
In reality, sharks merely bump into people in the water and sometimes don’t physically touch them. While injuries can happen and sharks do kill people in some cases, Shiffman says there’s a greater chance of getting killed by falling from a cliff than a shark. Sharks, however, are in danger. Around 100 million sharks are killed a year, Shiffman says. Many die from unsustainable overfishing practices, intentionally targeting their fins and meat or through bycatch: accidentally catching a shark when you’re fishing for another fish.