When Does 'Shark Week' Start? Episode Dates, Times For Discovery's 'Shark Week' 2017 And 'Shark After Dark'

Discovery Channel's Shark Week returns this month with eight nights of programming that may make you reconsider taking a dip in the ocean this summer.

Shark Week 2017 kicks off with four hours of programming on Sunday, July 23, including the Phelps vs. Shark: Great Gold vs. Great White special that features Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps. Find the complete eight-day schedule below, including the broadcast times for Discovery's popular late-night talk show, Shark After Dark, hosted by Eli Roth.

If you think you are the only person who is pumped about the return of Shark Week, think again. According to Discovery, 36.6 million viewers watched the series last summer, making it the No. 1 series on cable in 2016. Judging from the excitement that's already stirring on social media, this summer's programming will be just as popular.

In addition to five nights of shark programming during Shark Week, Discovery Channel also has a live Shark Cam available online 24 hours a day. In addition to the Shark Cam, Discovery will also broadcast a Lunch With the Sharks special via a live Facebook video feed. Follow Shark Week on Facebook for broadcast times.

Before Shark Week begins on July 23, brush up on your shark facts with Discovery's Sharkopedia and then test your shark IQ here by taking a series of shark-related quizzes.

Here's the episode-by-episode lineup for Shark Week 2017. If you miss an episode, the Discovery Channel will repeat episodes throughout the week. Check your cable listings for show times.

Note — broadcast times for all Shark Week programming, including Shark After Dark, are ET/PT.

Sunday, July 23

• Great White Serial Killer Lives — 7 p.m.
• Phelps vs. Shark: Great Gold vs. Great White — 8 p.m.
• Shark-Croc Showdown — 9:10 p.m.
• Devil Sharks — 10:10 p.m.
• Shark After Dark — 11:10 p.m.

Monday, July 24

• Shark Vortex — 8 p.m.
• Return to the Isle of Jaws — 9 p.m.
• Alien Sharks: Stranger Fins — 10 p.m.
• Shark After Dark — 11 p.m.

Tuesday, July 25

• Sharks and the City — 9 p.m.
• Sharks and the City: New York — 10 p.m.
• Shark After Dark — 11 p.m.

Wednesday, July 26

• The Lost Cage — 9 p.m.

Great Hammerhead Invasion — 10 p.m.

• Shark After Dark — 11 p.m.

Thursday, July 27

• Shark Exile — 9 p.m.
• Shark Swarm — 10 p.m.
• Shark After Dark — 11 p.m.

Friday, July 28

• African Shark Safari — 9 p.m.
• Liar of the Sawfish — 10 p.m.

Saturday, July 29

• Sharkmania — 9 p.m.

Sunday, July 30

• Shark School with Michael Phelps — 8 p.m.

Follow Discovery's Shark Week on Twitter (@SharkWeek) for video, photo, and programming updates.

[Featured Image by Ian Waldie/Getty Images]