Great white sharks have been launching themselves out of the water off the California coast with unusual frequency, and scientists are not sure why.
The behavior, called breaching, has long been documented off the coast of South Africa, where great whites are known to explode out of the water while hunting Cape fur seals. The recent surge of breaching activity along the American West Coast is less expected, and it is now the subject of a new documentary premiering during Shark Week 2026.
According to Live Science, the film is titled Air Jaws: Red, White and Breach and premieres Sunday, July 26, at 9 p.m. ET/PT on the Discovery Channel. It is directed by Jeff Kurr and features marine biologist Alison Towner, along with cinematographer Andy Casagrande.
Shark Week is now in its 25th year. The documentary follows the team to the California coast to film the breaching behavior and investigate what may be driving it. Why great white sharks breach so dramatically remains one of marine biology's biggest unresolved questions.
Great whites, known scientifically as Carcharodon carcharias, are the largest predatory fish on Earth and are capable of launching their entire bodies clear out of the ocean. The force required to do so is considerable, and the behavior takes significant energy. Researchers have proposed various explanations over the years, including prey capture, parasite removal, and communication, but no definitive answer has been established.
The documentary aims to capture the behavior on camera in detail and to explore what may have brought increased numbers of breaching great whites into American waters. Towner, who has studied white shark ecology extensively, brings field research experience to the investigation.
In the United States, the documentary is also available through several streaming services, including YouTube TV, DirecTV, Hulu with Live TV, and HBO Max.
