National Geographic takes an in-depth look at some of the more delicate and vulnerable aspects of the lives of sharks in the nature documentary, “50 Shades of Sharks.” Go on a journey to learn about the mating habits, hunting habits and eating habits of several different species of sharks. You’ll learn about many biological differences between different types of sharks and even learn how sharks can turn on each other and attack their own kind during a hunt. Plus, you’ll learn about the smaller fish that sharks allow to cling to them and clean their fins or even their teeth without eating them.

This documentary provides a more natural look at the lives of sharks than most. Everything in it is directly connected to biology. It’s all a part of life, but the filmmakers went with the more salacious title to connect it to the controversial “50 Shades of Grey” book series and let the viewers know they will learn about shark reproduction. It’s a great documentary for someone interested in marine biology, in general, and sharks, specifically. It’s something students should learn, and it did a great job of teaching about sharks, as a whole.

My favorite part was the focus on the tiger shark who has decided to follow a sea turtle that has just laid its eggs. A tiger shark is stronger than a sea turtle when both are at a full strength, but this shark knew to take advantage of the sea turtle at a very weak point. In a fight, it would be a cheap shot, but it’s a genius move for a hunter. After killing the turtle, he tries to mark his kill as other tiger sharks try to get some free food. He holds his own against them, but even a tiger shark has to give up his meal when a great white shark approaches. As genius of a movie as it is for the tiger shark to hunt a weak sea turtle, it’s even more genius for the great white to come in after the tiger shark has done the work. I know that doesn’t happen every time a tiger shark eats, it’s just one of the times it’s been caught on camera, and it was a great look at the food chain in the ocean.

This is not the best shark documentary I’ve ever seen. This isn’t even the best one to hit Disney+ this week. But it was still a great documentary for anyone who is interested in learning about sharks. It’s an excellent addition to the shark collection and I can’t wait to see more like it.

Ranking: 3.5 stars

What did you think of “50 Shades of Sharks?”

Jeremy Brown

Jeremy has been a big Disney fan since he was a kid growing up during the Disney Renaissance. One day he hopes to go to every Disney Park in the world.

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