It’s the 4th of July and you know what that means, right? Yep! SHARKS! Our friends at Lionsgate have released a brand new DVD set that celebrates the majestic and misunderstood minions of the deep. Shark Week: Jawsome Encounters arrives on DVD (plus Digital) on June 14 from Lionsgate. For the past 28 years, Discovery Channel has captured the world’s attention with Shark Week, an annual televised event that explores the ocean’s most magnificent creatures. Featuring 13 fintastic episodes from the 2014 season (never before released on DVD).

We had the chance to watch the set and we had a blast not only learning about these beautiful creatures, but watching as conservationists and animal experts came face to face with them. You heard that right. We get to see the strange phenomenon known as “zombie sharks”. What is a Zombie Shark you ask?  Shark Diver and conservationist Eli Martinez explores a catatonic zombie-like state in sharks called “tonic immobility” and sets out to solve a mystery of predators using it on massive great whites. We also get to see other insane creatures such as Tiger Sharks lurking in Hawaii, and Great Whites off the coast of Australia.

The DVD set is comprehensive and makes for some interesting viewing. The episodes that are straight on documentaries are compelling and in most cases fascinating as we learn more about these mysterious creatures. We tended not to enjoy the few episodes that reenacted events or dramatized a story, as they felt artificial. Regardless, this was a fun time in front of the telly, and we learned on top of that.

You can also check out individual episodes on YouTube here.