Sharks have always held a strange fascination for humans. They are remarkable creatures with a unique evolutionary history. Powerful yet misunderstood, sharks evoke a compelling mix of fear and awe in people. In 1985, American businessman John Hendricks founded the Discovery Channel as a source of entertaining educational programming. On July 17, 1988, the channel premiered what would go on to become its most iconic program, Shark Week. The annual, week long event has since become a cultural phenomenon and the longest-running cable television programming event in history.

Blending entertainment with education to raise awareness about sharks and marine conservation, much of Shark Week’s continued success can be credited to its innovative use of advanced filming technology. In the early 2000s, Shark Week became a pioneer in using high-definition (HD) underwater cameras, allowing audiences to see aspects of a shark like never before. Some of these cameras were operated manually by divers, while others were attached to submersible drones, pushing the boundaries of how underwater drones could be used to study marine environments.

With custom-built camera housings on submersible drones, filmmakers were able to safely get close to sharks for prolonged periods of time. For many viewers, it was the first time they could closely examine a living shark’s eyes, skin texture, and movement. Building on the success of remote-operated filming, the Discovery Channel also became one of the first to use aerial drones for wildlife monitoring and filming during Shark Week production.

Using drones equipped with HD cameras, film crews captured shark behaviors that were previously impossible to observe. The top-down views provided by drones revealed sharks herding schools of fish, shadowing surfers, and cruising through shallow reefs. Today, the drone technology first embraced by Discovery has paved the way for countless marine wildlife studies, particularly of sharks. We now know more about these elusive creatures than ever before, and drones continue to aid researchers and wildlife filmmakers in both learning and teaching.

But it isn’t only professionals using drones to observe sharks. Drones have become wildly popular and accessible to amateur photographers around the world. High-quality drones, like those made by DJI, are favored by both professionals and hobbyists alike. In fact, Shark Week has begun using drone footage captured by amateurs to supplement professionally sourced material. Recently, a father and son traveling around Australia had the opportunity to capture a stunning event involving a shark with their personal drone.

Though it’s not yet confirmed whether this footage will air during Shark Week, the story is undeniably captivating. Nash Core, a resident of Australia’s Gold Coast, was preparing to do some crab raking during low tide with his son, Parker. The pair noticed a group of people looking over a cliff down toward the Gulf of Saint Vincent in southern Australia. It appeared that a large animal, possibly a shark, was stranded in the shallows as the tide had receded. Wanting a closer look while maintaining a safe distance, Nash launched his drone and confirmed that a shark was indeed stuck, struggling on the sand and barely covered by water.

What happened next was truly incredible. Driven by a desire to help the animal and pushing through their fears, Nash, Parker, and several others approached the stranded shark. Using crab rakes and grabbing it by the tail, the team managed to free the shark, allowing it to escape to deeper water. Throughout the entire rescue, Nash continued filming with his drone from above. He estimated the shark to be approximately 3 meters (nearly 10 feet) long, leading them to believe they had rescued a great white shark.

As for the shark’s fate, Nash said he wasn’t sure what ultimately happened. “It looked pretty sick; it was pretty knackered,” he said. “It was pretty tired and just didn’t have much strength. So hopefully it did [survive], but we are unsure at this stage.” Regardless of the outcome, Parker said it’s something he’ll remember for the rest of his life. It’s actions like these that one can imagine make the creators of Shark Week proud, actions that promote the continued search for knowledge about sharks and support conservation efforts to protect the species.

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