Did You Miss the 'Shark Attack' Filmed in La Jolla for Shark Week?

Discovery Channel’s Shark Week may only come around once a year on our television screens, but behind-the-scenes work going into this fascinating event is taking place even as viewers move into their deepest states of withdrawal from shark-dedicated programming.

In fact, during April the Discovery Channel was in town filming a shark attack reenactment at . With a life-size replica of the animal and some hog’s blood in tow, the camera crew rolled to capture a piece for this year’s Shark Week, set to air in August.

Creating these types of reenactments has arguably helped to evolve human understanding of the shark, once a highly feared and misunderstood species. We now know more than ever about their invaluable contributions to marine environments and our global ecosystem overall. While attacks remain one of eerie realities of human and shark interaction, furthered knowledge of animal behavior helps to shed some light on a dark topic.

According to Ralph Collier, shark expert and founder of the Shark Research Committee, “Today’s reenactments are done quite well.” Collier, who is a recognized authority on white shark behavior, is routinely called upon to offer his expertise in attack investigations and has also appeared in and contributed to Shark Week programming.

Collier points out that attack reenactments, such as the ones found on networks like Discovery Channel, serve a purpose and try to give the viewer an idea of transpired events based on the information available. “We’re doing a better job now of not glorifying the horror aspect,” he said.

In addition to offering a fairer account of events that lead up to attacks, Collier also asks people to consider the animal’s point of view when watching shark-related programming. “Put yourself in the place of a shark,” he said. “Humans may see a lot of sharks on TV, but sharks don’t necessarily see a lot of people in their lifetime. They want to know what we’re up to, just as we want to know more about them.”

As for whether or not the 40-year veteran researcher will tune in for this year’s Shark Week, Collier had this to say: “If I’m not out there somewhere with real sharks, I will watch.”

With the excitement of Discovery Channel’s television Shark Week still months off, the anticipation tends to build when the filming comes so close to home. So, to tide you all over until the real event, La Jolla Patch has compiled some video clips, both real and reenacted, to satisfy your shark-hungry minds.