TV Review: "Super Shark Highway" is a Visually Impressive Yet Dull Look at Sharks Off the Coast of Australia
One of the many new programs for National Geographic’s Sharkfest this year is Super Shark Highway. Now, I’ll have to admit up-front that I’m not one who has partaken in any Sharkfest offerings before, so this year’s offerings are new territory for me.
Sharks are ancient creatures – in fact, they’ve been around long before dinosaurs and even trees! But the most destructive thing for sharks is only a relatively recent development in their 400 million year history – the arrival of humans. This new docuseries follows two elite shark research teams as they infiltrate two of Australia’s busiest shark migration routes to unlock the mysteries of these apex predators. By learning more about these magnificent creatures, they aim to not only help protect the sharks, but also humans that may come into contact with them. Across the six-episode series, the first research team follows white sharks along Australia’s southern shark highway, while the other team tracks the big and elusive sharks along the tropical north.
I previously had the chance to watch another new Sharkfest special, Sharks Up Close with Bertie Gregory, which I thought did a much better job at showcasing beautiful ocean life compared to this show. Gregory’s presentation, along with some exquisitely shot locations, made for a far more engaging watch than Super Shark Highway. Unlike that special, however, here we get lots of up-close looks at all kinds of sharks, from bull sharks to the widely-known great white sharks. Some impressive shots are showcased, including many attempts of curious sharks charging at the camera rigs.
Other episodes explore topics such as how sharks express love, the darkness of the Tropical Shark Highway – where they have a harrowing encounter with a tiger shark – and the mystery of how sharks work together to obtain food and avoid being eaten themselves.
If, like me, you’re a newcomer to the yearly delights of Sharkfest, I’d point you towards something like Sharks Up Close with Bertie Gregory as a good entry point. Super Shark Highway is definitely a more in-depth piece, owing simply to its length, but it's also far more dry – with a dull narration and no personality coming from the scientists the show focuses on. But if you’re a more seasoned Sharkfest watcher or if you're specifically looking for amazing footage of sharks, then this is the right place to come!
Super Shark Highway premieres tonight, July 5th on National Geographic, and streams on Disney+ and Hulu beginning tomorrow. Check out the rest of this year’s Sharkfest line-up here.