I don’t know about you, but I had no idea that July was considered “Shark Month.” To be honest, apart from having seen the Jaws films too early in life and then having done an exciting school project about them, I’ve never really paid attention to the beasts of the ocean. However, all these years later, Netflix has made me think about them in a new light. All The Sharks is a competition first, yes, but it’s not the kind of competition we’re used to seeing on reality TV. The show does attempt to create some sort of drama, whether it be among the contestants or between locals and the contestants; however, at the end of the day, it’s watching marine biologists on a dream vacation, enjoying their time trying to find species of sharks, making the most of this opportunity. And you know what? I’m not complaining at all, because not only did I learn that rays are also part of the shark species, I also got to see some beautiful sharks and marine life. All The Sharks doesn’t feel like a Nat Geo or Discovery documentary where people narrate an encyclopedia’s worth of information at you while holding onto wild beasts and seem to be completely chill. No, the only task at hand here is to photograph as many beautiful sharks as you can and win money for a charitable cause of your choice. Of course, it’s got to have something to do with marine life. On the surface, that sounds super boring, because what are you, as a viewer, getting from all of this?
I can’t really answer that question, but I can say that All The Sharks somehow manages to be both entertaining and fast-paced despite this very “basic” premise. There are 4 teams competing and one host, who gives out very special, very expensive prizes to those who win each round. At the beginning of the show, there are no eliminations. I’m not sure how it’s humanly possible to travel to so many countries in some 6 weeks, but these guys manage to go to some of the most beautiful places you’ve ever seen, and no, I don’t mean beautiful above land, I mean under the sea. The contestants are all skilled marine professionals and have a lot of knowledge, which is the most interesting part of the show. The second they spot something, they’re screaming, “Oh look, it’s a tiger shark,” or “Oh, there’s a yellow ray,” and you’re just wondering how they retain so much information.
If you’re already a shark enthusiast, this show might be a bit boring because you don’t get to see the animal up close, but you do get to enjoy some marine diversity, in the limited scope of what the show has to offer. I feel like this is one of those things set up for new enthusiasts, who might not have any idea what they’re getting into. Additionally, this show is on Netflix, and it’s banking on “Shark Month” to make some sort of waves in the industry, but I’m not sure how much it’s actually going to work. The teams are actually pretty fun, and I immediately had my favorites as soon as I started the show. Minor spoiler alert: my favorites did not win the competition, sigh. In terms of competitiveness, there are some parts, especially once the elimination starts, where the pairs talk ill of the other groups, and there’s one particular team that doesn’t quite gel to begin with, so there’s a little bit of a hoo-hah there, but overall, it’s honestly a very calm show for a TV reality competition.
Now, I can’t be the only person not talking about the 50th anniversary of Jaws while referring to a shark show. I’m not going to lie, I’m still scarred from that experience, and I’m very glad it wasn’t theatrical, because then I’d probably still be afraid to go to beaches today. I don’t want to be that person, but I do feel like the film has caused irreversible damage to our perspective of the wild beasts, and I think this show might heal some of our wounded soldiers. Especially when we get to see the variety of these sharks all in different sizes, shapes and even colors and prints. Like, there’s a shark called the pajama shark, and it’s not even the cutest of the lot.
The contestants get to travel to some really diverse locations, too, from being in the bustling city of Tokyo to Bimini to the Great Barrier Reef; the variety isn’t just in the fish, but also in the places these enthusiasts get to visit. Seeing their enthusiasm and joy upon coming across these magnificent creatures makes you realize how rare and beautiful that feeling truly is. Rather than focusing on the competition, you’re left with the wish to go snorkeling in the Galapagos, or at least I am.
As a whole, All The Sharks has wonderful potential, because it manages to keep your attention but still gives you all the information you need verbally, so even if you’re playing it as background noise, you’re getting so much out of it. If you’ve got kids around, they might want to become marine biologists after watching this show, too, or maybe simply sea-life photographers. There’s no profanity, no hair pulling, or nail scratching. This is certainly the calmest competition you’ve seen, and it’s great to watch with your whole family too. I know, those are so rare today. So if you’re at all interested in seeing the diverse sharks of the world and want to feel an intense fear of missing out—no, really, these are places you haven’t even dreamt of—then give this one a go. If you’re the kind of person who wants The Traitor level strategizing or The Kardashians level drama, then this show is definitely not for you. I’d give All The Sharks 3.5 out of 5 stars.
