Shark Week 2017 News: Michael Phelps to Learn More About Sharks on Final Night
Kicking off with 28-time Olympic medallist Michael Phelps racing against a great white shark, this year's Shark Week is one for the books. The week-long event, which started on July 23 and will end on July 30, still has a lot in store for shark lovers as it goes into full swing.
Shark Week 2017 will last for eight days and will heavily feature Phelps, who will once again appear on the last day of the week-long event. Last July 23, the athlete had to top the speed of a great white shark by wearing a one-millimeter-thick bodysuit that aimed to duplicate the skin of the sea creature.
On July 30, Phelps will be featured yet again, this time on "Shark School with Michael Phelps," where he will not race with a great white shark but will instead learn more about the finned fish. The episodes were pre-filmed, so Time had the chance to catch up with Phelps to talk about his Shark Week experience before it even started.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
During the interview, Phelps said that the most important thing he had discovered from the experience was that learning about sharks is not as difficult or as dangerous as most people perceive it to be.
"I think the biggest thing is to get the message across that they don't want to eat us. They're not trying to kill us and trying to hurt us. They're out there surviving just like we are on land. Hopefully with some of the lessons that I've learned and the do's and don'ts in the shark world, hopefully people can learn and hopefully people can be able to swim free with the sharks," Phelps told Time.
Aside from Phelps appearing on the final night of Shark Week, Hendrick Motorsports driver Kasey Kahne will also celebrate the conclusion of the event as he drives a Great Clips and Shark Week-branded No. 5 car at Pocono Raceway Sunday.
