TORONTO (June 13,  2016) – With the SHARK WEEK countdown in full swing, DAILY PLANET  celebrates television’s most iconic event dedicated to the planet’s most voracious – and at times dangerous – underwater creatures. Co-hosts Ziya Tong and Dan Riskin return for the third year to anchor Canada’s SHARK WEEK on DAILY PLANET.  Airing daily at 7 p.m. ET from Monday, June 27 through Friday, July 1 on Discovery, DAILY PLANET dives to the depths of the ocean to deliver a comprehensive shark-themed story lineup that captures heart-stopping close encounters, the strangest species of sharks, and spotlights revolutionary technology that uncovers the elusive creature like never before.

In addition, Discovery GO is currently featuring complementary shark content, and beginning June 24, Crave TV will begin presenting its Shark Week collection.

From seeking out the oceanic whitetip shark in the Bahamas alongside award-winning wildlife photographer and director of Sharkwater, Rob Stewart, to diving into the deep, frigid Arctic waters in search of the elusive greenland shark – and even an up-close look at the world’s first shark detection buoy – DAILY PLANET offers full access to cutting-edge shark research and awe-inspiring underwater footage.

Within the five gripping hours and all-week long, DAILY PLANET  delivers  three fascinating mini-series – “Weird Sharks”, “Close Encounters”, and “Like a Shark” – breaking down the world’s strangest sharks, capturing visually-stunning close-ups with sharks, and interpreting in human terms how sharks relax, travel, birth, and more.

**Media Note** Photography for DAILY PLANET available online at BellMediaPR.ca.

 DAILY PLANET’s SHARK WEEK features:

“Shark Detecting Buoy”

Optus, Australia’s second-largest telecommunications network has developed a world-first detection method specifically calibrated to spot a shark’s unique movement and wake. Clever Buoy is designed to alert beachgoers of nearby sharks and will be installed at beaches that have the greatest risk for shark attacks. DAILY PLANET visits the marine lab to profile Clever Buoy’s design and tech, explaining how high-frequency, side-scanning sonar will function and communicate to ground stations in order to properly warn lifeguards and beachgoers of looming underwater threats.

“Chill and Eat Like a Shark”

For people, relaxing can be watching television or setting off on a tropical vacation. But sharks do things a little differently. Some sharks can be placed in a tonic state for the ultimate relaxation, remaining in this state of paralysis for an average of 15 minutes! If only humans had that same luxury!  And while it is assumed that sharks have an insanely huge appetite, this is not necessarily the case. Studies show that most reef sharks have great table manners and usually only eat prey that is smaller than a cheeseburger. DAILY PLANET delivers interesting and insightful facts on the predator’s “social” behaviours.

“Beastcam Sharks”

With the goal of creating accurate 3D models of live sharks, biologists from the University of Massachusetts Amherst are using off-the-shelf materials to assemble a portable, high-speed, and low-cost 3D scanning system called Beastcam. DAILY PLANET follows the team of biologists to Florida where they create 3D models of live sharks – allowing them to compare shark body shapes in detail while studying their movements.

“Rob Stewart Oceanic White Tips”

DAILY PLANET travels to Cat Island in the Bahamas with filmmaker Rob Stewart to seek out the oceanic white tip shark. The species once described by famed oceanographer Jacques Cousteau as “the most dangerous of all sharks” is now highly endangered, with its population down by 99 per cent since the 1950s. As a result, these creatures are very difficult to find and interacting with them is rare. Currently shooting Sharkwater 2, this presented a challenge to Stewart and his team. In this DAILY PLANET exclusive, viewers can watch closely as Stewart interacts with the oceanic white tips first hand.

“Lost Alien Sharks”

When people think about sharks, generally the fierce great white and tiger shark tend to come to mind – but there are more than 400 other species! From the markets in Tawian to museums in South Africa, biologist David Ebert is on a world-wide search for these undiscovered “alien” species.

“Close Encounter: The Greenland Shark”

The greenland shark is a mysterious giant so rare that it wasn’t captured on video until 2005. To find this elusive creature, one must face the frigid waters of the Artic. And that’s exactly where Arctic underwater cinematographer Adam Ravetch comes face-to-face with the second largest carnivorous shark after the great white. Three weeks in frigid water and at the edge of an ice floe, capturing these eerie shots took patience…but the outcome is well worth it.

About DAILY PLANET

Co-hosted by Dan Riskin and Ziya Tong, DAILY PLANET is Discovery’s flagship daily magazine program exploring the most amazing science and technology stories from around the world. DAILY PLANET is produced by Exploration Production Inc. (EPI), a production house wholly owned by Discovery Canada, and Kelly McKeown is Director of Production, EPI/Executive Producer Daily Planet. Nanci MacLean is Vice-President, Bell Media Production. Tracey Pearce is Senior Vice-President, Specialty and Pay, Bell Media. Randy Lennox is President, Entertainment Production and Broadcasting, Bell Media. More information about DAILY PLANET can be found at Discovery.ca/DailyPlanet, as well on Facebook and @DailyPlanetShow.