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(Silver Spring, Md.) – Discovery Channel's 23^rd annual SHARK WEEK – cable's longest-running programming event – was seen by 30.8 million people this year, making it the most-watched SHARK WEEK on record. The previous record holder was 2008 with 29.1 million viewers. [Source: Nielsen Media Research; cume; M-Su 8-11P; LSD P2+; 6-minute qualifier]

Airing August 1 to 7, 2010, SHARK WEEK featured six premiere programs – including two that earned a place on the list of top five rated SHARK WEEK programs of all time (reported since 1996, based on P2+ Delivery): ULTIMATE AIR JAWS (#2) and INTO THE SHARK BITE (#4). These programs were watched by 3.5 million and 2.9 million unique viewers respectively. [Source: Nielsen Media Research; NHI; M-Su 8-11P; LSD P2+; AA(000)]

In 2000, producer Jeff Kurr traveled to South Africa hoping to be the first to capture the incredible hunting techniques of the great white sharks that inhabit the coast. To feed on seals, the sharks have the self-taught ability to breach the water's surface. Going airborne, the 2000-pound hunters grab their prey while lifting their bodies entirely out of the water, an amazing feat never seen on television before Shark Week's Air Jaws captured the phenomenon ten years ago.

Working on Discovery's Shark Week for 20 years, Kurr traveled to South Africa once again to capture these jumping sharks along with shark expert Chris Fallows for Ultimate Air Jaws, this time, armed with new HD technology. The team used the Phantom camera, a high speed camera shooting at 2,000 frames per second, to capture every detail of a shark's jump from the water.

Q: How did you become so interested in great white sharks?

A: Since the age of 2, I have in some or other way been involved with wildlife. I grew up going to game reserves in Africa and developed a love of wildlife from this. When we moved to the coast in 1985, my love of the sea grew stronger and I started a tag-and-release program with the local fishermen to release sharks from their nets. One day we caught a young great white, and this sparked a fascination for them. In 1991, a research group offered me a volunteer position working with great whites. In 1996, I started my own company, Apex Shark Expeditions, which runs to this day taking guests to see these beautiful creatures. In 1996, I discovered the unique Jumping sharks seen at Seal Island and later on documented the incredible natural predation seen at this island. This natural predation is seen nowhere else on Earth with the same intensity, and each day is compelling to watch these sharks and seals battle for survival.

Shark Week, Discovery Channel's annual midsummer shark celebration, kicks off its 23rd season this weekend with Jeff Kurr's "Ultimate Air Jaws," the follow-up to one of the most-watched Shark Week documentaries of all time, "Air Jaws." Kurr has been with the Shark Week franchise since 1991, so it's no wonder the Los Angeles-based filmmaker has quickly become quite the shark expert himself.

This review from the NY Daily News says it all "4 out of 5 stars...Heart-Stopping Thrills...Chris Fallows, full-fledged co-star...Delivers in Full!"

For understandable reasons, many nature specials overpromise the number of heart-stopping thrills they can deliver.

"Ultimate Air Jaws" does not.

The Air Jaws Phenomenon Shark Week 2001, 2002, 2010

Prior to 2000 not many people believed that Great white sharks could launch themselves completely out of the water. Discovery Channel's Shark Week helped showcase the jumping shark phenomenon worldwide with the making of the now famous Air Jaws; Air Jaws 2 – Even Higher and just recently Ultimate Air Jaws.

The BBC Planet Earth TV series was one of the most enjoyable and succesful projects Monique and I have ever worked on. In previous years the BBC did not always get their timing with us right and arrived before or after things really got going, this time Simon King and Ted hit the nail on the head.

On many days during their 3 week stay with us we witnessed over 30 predatory events, many including spectacular breaches. Simon and Ted were consumate professionals, as well being enjoyable company on the boat. Planet Earth pictures and Planet Earth products will undoubtedly take the documentary watching fraternity by storm, pretty much like The Blue Planet did before.

This ambitious documentary takes a look at what sharks are up to during the midnight hours.

Apex facilitated the Great white shark segment at Seal Island which shows almost unbelievable footage of full blooded aerial breaches of jumping Great white sharks in complete darkness. The Apex crew had done a fair amount of work with Great whites at night from as early as 2001 and certain observations had led us to believe that the sharks were hunting the seals at night as they headed out for the feeding grounds. What took us completely by surprise was how easily the sharks could pick up on our seal decoy, quite clearly showing that sound and vibrations (from the moving prey) are the key elements the sharks use for locating their prey.