As strange as it sounds, I’ve had a long standing love affair with sharks. From tattoos to shot glasses, if you put a shark on it, there’s a strong chance I’ll buy it. Not only are sharks super-badass (and way cooler than killer whales), they’re a vulnerable, mystifying species that’s in serious trouble.

As a shark lover and conservationist, I have always loved Shark Week for its ability to inform the public on the coolest information scientists have gathered about these animals. Despite specials about shark attacks, or programs retelling stories like that of the U.S.S. Indianapolis (insert Quint monologue here), the point of Shark Week has always been to raise awareness and promote conservation for shark populations so dangerously close to extinction in already fragile ecosystems. The point of Shark Week was to shatter the horrible image movies like Jaws created around sharks, painting them as blood-thirsty man-eating killers.

For 27 years, shark conservationists everywhere have celebrated Shark Week like Christmas for crushing that mentality and providing cold-hard-education. I myself counted down the days till the week-long TV show’s premiere, like a shark was coming down a chimney with a fresh tuna steak in its jaw. Each year I craved new knowledge, as scientists uncovered mysteries about these incredible, awe-inspiring creatures. What inspired their migration patterns? How does their existence affect ocean ecosystems? How likely is a shark to attack you?

Growing up I dreamed of following Great Whites around South Africa and hand-feeding reef sharks in the Caribbean. And while my career path may have changed, my adoration and respect for the species has only grown. And for the first time in my 23 years and with a heavy heart, I’m passing on Christmas and will have not have watched a single minute of this year’s Shark Week.

This isn’t because I don’t have cable and no, it’s not FOMO that’s plaguing my broken heart. I am boycotting Shark Week 2014 because Discovery has completely and utterly destroyed what Shark Week originally set out to promote, and has rapidly become a bastardized version of itself.

Of course avid fans, like myself, have seen this coming. Shark Week has progressed farther from intelligence and sunk deeper into dingy, sell-out infested waters for the past few years. The Ocean Conservancy has not been affiliated with Shark Week since 2010, and the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy has expressed immense disappointment in Discovery. And I, so deeply wanting to cling to my childhood nostalgia and personal investment in the welfare of sharks and our oceans, turned a blind eye. I held out hope, so much hope, that their click-bait-y programming and libelous reports on sharks would remain a minor aspect of the week. That I could stomach; a few episodes about crazy shark attacks was cool, those stories are incredible feats of strength and endurance. It’s completely understandable for people to be afraid of these creatures, but they should also practice precaution. Shark Week used to highlight this, warning audiences of rookie mistakes when recreating in the ocean, advising safety and an understanding of the water.

For a program so deeply rooted in conservancy, the mere mention of advocacy has become but a side note. The diction itself surrounding all the programming titles, regardless of their factual or mythical premise, are almost all fear-based and incongruent with reality. What Shark Week has morphed into is nauseating. From the advertising campaign to each title and narration of individual programs, the show has transitioned into a sad excuse for reality TV. Saving sharks has become an afterthought, one later on the list of gimmicks, squeezed in between the discovery store and Shark Week partners. How soon before it’s completely lost from the programming entirely?

How is it that the week has fallen so off base from its inception?

The cynic in me points a finger towards sensationalism; of course listening to a surfer describe an insane shark attack is more riveting to the public than learning about shark culls in various countries and the slaughter of millions of sharks worldwide for insane reasons. In 26 years, finning has only been lightly discussed and never focused on for an entire show. Discovery has completely ignored how humans are devastating shark populations into extinction, and cashed in on a campaign in which they paint sharks as super monsters. Instead, audiences are overwhelmed with violence for the sake of watching something kill, rather than understand the eb and flow of nature, the circle of life in waters preexisting human existence.

Yes, I realize Discovery is still a network that thrives on ratings and and the success of its programming. But what I find hard to accept, is a complete disregard for facts, science and frankly, ethics. I refuse to accept these skewed depictions of sharks so callous and detrimental to their populations, the ocean’s ecosystems, and ultimately to the earth.

Yes, sharks have jaws. Yes, sharks can kill. But how many sharks kill people each year? And how many sharks are killed in return?

 

Discovery is a media conglomerate with the incredible power to raise awareness to help end these slaughters and influence stable ocean ecosystems simply by adjusting their programming. Instead they have abused their ability to reach millions of people and cashed in on shark enthusiasts everywhere, and still sharks are killed by the thousands daily.

What’s important is that more people are catching on. I can only hope National Geographic will pick up the conservation train and replace what used to be.

Here are a few suggestions for other shark enthusiasts:

Tell Discovery off. Tell them their programming is detrimental to our environment, and that they should be ashamed of themselves.

Seek your own education. Don’t aid in their success. Watch shark programs elsewhere. The resources to learn wild things about sharks are endless. And there are thousands of awesome and smart people not employed by Discovery who actually know a shit-ton about sharks compressed to a Twitter feed.

Spread awareness. You don’t have to be a scientist or a billionaire to make a difference (I sure as hell am neither). Humans may be destroying these populations and ruining the oceans, but it’s not going to fix itself. The rest of us humans have to do what we can.

Even Buzzfeed gets it. So should you.