Author: Xavier Scudder
Paul de Gelder is no stranger to danger. After surviving a shark attack in 2009, the former Navy diver turned conservationist has spent the years since transforming fear into purpose. This Shark Week, de Gelder returns with a lineup of specials that push the limits of human resilience and explore the myths, truths, and mysteries of the ocean’s most misunderstood predators.
We sat down with Paul to talk about how diving with sharks helps him stay grounded, why connection to the natural world is crucial to healing, and what Jaws got wrong.
Air Jaws: The Hunt for Colossus
Air Jaws: The Hunt for Colossus Premieres Tuesday, July 22 at 9 PM ET/PT on Discovery
When a 20-foot great white breaches in New Zealand, it sparks a global hunt for Colossus, the legendary flying shark who vanished from South African waters a decade ago. Could he still be alive and lead researchers to a lost colony of great whites? Paul helps lead the charge in this epic search.
How to Survive a Shark Attack
How to Survive a Shark Attack also premieres Tuesday, July 22 at 9 PM ET/PT on Discovery
In one of Shark Week’s boldest experiments, Paul provokes real sharks to bite his prosthetic limbs, under expert supervision, mind you, to teach viewers how to survive the unthinkable. “We talk about how to survive,” Paul told us. “But we’ve never actually shown it. Until now.”
Despite the intensity, the goal isn’t to demonize sharks. It’s to educate people, save lives, and show respect for nature’s most powerful predators.
Black Mako of the Abyss
Black Mako of the Abyss Premieres Tuesday, July 22 at 10 PM ET/PT on Discovery
Joined by Kendyl Berna and Keith Poe, Paul investigates a massive, aggressive, dark-skinned shark unlike anything documented before. Is it a new species, a mako–great white hybrid, or a deep-sea mystery waiting to be solved? This hour dives into what may be one of the most important shark discoveries in recent history.
Attack of the Devil Shark
Attack of the Devil Shark Premieres Saturday, July 26 at 8 PM ET/PT on Discovery
Though this special stars Kinga Phillips, Paul’s presence in the Shark Week conversation makes this worth mentioning. When a rogue tiger shark strikes twice in St. Martin, a team of experts investigates a growing legend and finds a possible seismic link to shark aggression.
A Life Reclaimed by the Ocean
For Paul, reconnecting with the sea became a lifeline. “Just knowing the ocean is there, even if I’m not in it, keeps me grounded,” he told us. “It’s an expanse of space with no people, just nature. And that connection? It heals.”
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the release of Jaws, which premiered on June 20, 1975. With Paul diving into Air Jaws: The Hunt for Colossus, we asked for his expert take on the film’s legacy. “They got a lot wrong,” he said, “especially the idea of sharks being vengeful. They’re just animals in their environment.”
What makes sharks so remarkable, he shared, is their tolerance. “They allow you to share their space. You can’t do that with bears or wolves. Treat them with respect, and they’ll do the same.”
Whether it’s education, adrenaline, or awe, Paul brings it all. Tune in Tuesday, July 22 and Saturday, July 26 to witness a man who turned trauma into purpose and fear into advocacy.
