It’s a bad week to be a seal. Three fan-favorite staple scientists in the field are once again returning to Shark Week on the Discovery Channel this July: Tom “The Blowfish” Hird , Paul De Gelder , and Forrest Galante . For as entertaining as the programming is, these three men often put themselves in very real danger to get the content they need and want to educate people.
“I’ve lost limbs off of my arm. My legs have broken, we’ve had to weld parts of my leg together,” De Gelder told DECIDER over Zoom. Although it comes with some trials and tribulations, the men of Shark Week undoubtedly love the job that they do.
“[Sharks] will never not be great,” Hird said. “They are like fabulous works of art or going and listening to your favorite band even if they’ve been touring for 20 years. They will always be great.
” De Gelder added, “It’s crazy that I actually get to do this, be part of something that’s a heritage and it’s something that so many people love, and the new discoveries that come out every year.” From stuck cages and live shark births to diving just feet away from an actively-erupting underwater volcano, DECIDER got the inside scoop on what gills and thrills viewers can expect from the guys’ shows this year, and why it’s worth tuning in even if you never have before. DECIDER: What inspired you to join the Shark Week team in the first place, and what keeps you coming back to do the program? Tom “The Blowfish” Hird: What inspired.
