5 things you didn't know about shark week

It's finally here- my boys' favorite time of the year. Shark Week is July 22nd-29th & we're in serious anticipation of it over here. So much so that we just got to the beach right in the middle of Shark Week and Bear is beside himself with excitement. His love for sharks, and the ocean in general, has helped Zach and I use this as a window of opportunity to teach Bear all about ocean life. He picked out a special shark backpack from Pottery Barn Kids for kindergarten this year and after counting all the sharks on it (there are 31, in case you were wondering), we got curious about how Shark Week even came about. Lots of googling research later, our little family has a whole new appreciation for this animal of the ocean. And thanks to Pottery Barn Kids, Bear & Boone can share their fascination with the world (in the cutest form of clothes, towels, & lots in between!). Safe to say we're beach ready.

photos by Ban Avenue Photography 
shoot location: The Residences at Kirby Collection

Shark Backpacks | Infant Shark Swim Covers | Infant Shark Towel Wrap | Infant Cover Up | Family Shark Towel | Shark Tote | Kid Shark Towel Wrap | Kid Shark Cover Up | Kid Shark Goggles


5 Things You Didn't Know About Shark Week:

1. It started on a napkin. A group of Discovery executives were out with some colleagues when one of them said something like, 'You know what would be awesome? Shark Week!' And somebody in that nexus scribbled it down on a napkin. The rest is history, as Shark Week aired that August of 1988.
2. It's not meant to evoke fear. While sharks can be terrifying animals (the reason Bear loves them so much), the goal of Shark Week is not to cause animosity toward the creatures. Shark Week educates people about the most misunderstood animals on our planet while inspiring them to protect the ocean, which is why this is such a great time to teach our kids and get them involved!
3. It helped prove that sharks jump out of the water. This was new information to me- I had no idea about sharks breaching. Now I'm excited to watch the 2001 documentary "Air Jaws" during Shark Week, which shows actual footage of great whites breaching, captured for the first time on film. Prior to that footage, sharks jumping completely out of the water was reportedly thought to be a rumor.
4. The author of "Jaws" was its first host. Since Jaws was a big part of the launch of Shark Week and America's fascination with the species, it's only fitting that the author, Peter Benchley, would be the first host back in 1994 (when his novel was celebrating its 20th anniversary). 
5. It holds a cable television record. In 2010, Shark Week became the longest-running cable television programming event, and it shows no signs of slowing down. 

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Is Shark Week a big deal in your household, too? So excited to spend the next few days with family on the coast!
xo, Britt

*Thank you to Pottery Barn Kids to sponsoring this post. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.