A Massive Mako Mystery Is Circling New York Waters
Image: Discovery / YouTube
A nearly 12-foot mako shark nicknamed “Sharkzilla” is lurking off New York, and conservation biologist Dr. Craig O’Connell is heading straight into its path for Discovery’s new Shark Week special, Sharkzilla Takes New York.
The investigation begins after a wave of mauled marine life washes ashore. O’Connell follows the damage offshore, where great whites and makos are moving through waters near an old nuclear dumping ground—and where the evidence points toward one very large predator.
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As the special unfolds, O’Connell considers a chilling possibility: could radioactive leakage from long-abandoned waste barrels be affecting wildlife in the area? Discovery frames it as a theory to investigate—not a proven explanation—as the team tags sharks and searches for biological evidence.
The trail ultimately leads toward an unexpected hotspot for massive makos off the Hamptons. That alone is enough to send a shiver through anybody who thought New York’s biggest summer threat was merely finding parking near the beach.
O’Connell comes face-to-face with the huge shark as it swims directly toward him, producing the kind of underwater encounter Shark Week was invented for: majestic, unnerving and just close enough to make everyone watching from the couch reconsider thee ocean.
Sharkzilla Takes New York premiered Friday, July 31, at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Discovery as part of Shark Week 2026.
Sharkzilla Takes New York — Shark Week Preview
Dr. Craig O’Connell encounters a massive mako while investigating mauled marine life and a possible predator hotspot off New York.
Source: Discovery Shark Week.
