The Original Shark Week

Get ready for Shark Week like never before, because our latest episode plunges into a chilling true story that makes any shark attack documentary pale in comparison: the original "Shark Week" of 1916. Discover how a real-life monster movie unfolded along the New Jersey coast when a bull shark took the lives of four people and critically injured another in a terrifying feeding frenzy. Could this unprecedented series of shark attacks be the true inspiration behind Peter Benchley's iconic novel and Steven Spielberg's blockbuster film, Jaws? Tune in to uncover the horrifying details of this historical event and decide for yourself if this was the nightmare that shaped our most enduring stories of sharks and the primal fear they can inspire.

References:

1. Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). Jersey Shore shark attacks of 1916. Wikipedia. Retrieved July 8, 2025, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jersey_Shore_shark_attacks_of_1916

2. Gambino, M. (2012, August 6). The shark attacks that were the inspiration for Jaws. Smithsonian Magazine. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-shark-attacks-that-were-the-inspiration-for-jaws-15220260/

3. Shark Research Institute. (n.d.). Shark attack incidents. Living Sharks. Retrieved July 8, 2025, from https://www.livingsharks.org/incidents

4. Vena, D. (2023, July 6). Was ‘Jaws’ actually inspired by N.J. shark attacks? The answer is complicated. Jersey’s Best. https://www.jerseysbest.com/community/was-jaws-actually-inspired-by-new-jersey-shark-attacks/

5. Dwinell, J. (2024, June 12). Cape Cod shark attacks: How ‘Jaws’ changed the way we see sharks. Cape Cod Times. https://www.capecodtimes.com/story/news/environment/2024/06/12/jaws-movie-shark-attack/73886823007/

6. LiveNOW from FOX. (2023, July 6). The real-life shark attacks that inspired ‘Jaws’. https://www.livenowfox.com/news/jaws-shark-attack-origins