John Cena to host Shark Week on Discovery

June 13 (UPI) -- John Cena has been announced as this year's Shark Week host.

Discovery Channel said in a press release Thursday that Cena, an actor and WWE star, will host the 36th Shark Week, a weeklong programming block celebrating sharks.

"I usually do Shark Week from my couch -- with lots of snacks, but this year I'm beyond excited to host the week dedicated to the endlessly fascinating, action heroes of the Ocean," Cena said in a statement. "It's a wild week of shocking new footage, new discoveries, and lots and lots of teeth."

This year's Shark Week will feature 21 hours of new programming, including a new chapter of Belly of the Beast, Monster Hammerheads: Species X and Great White Serial Killer: Sea of Blood.

Cena will host, preview top moments each night, and interview fan favorite shark experts.

Shark Week kicks off July 7 at 8 p.m. EDT on Discovery Channel.

Warner Bros. Discovery channels, including Food Network, HGTV, ID, TBS, TNT, TCM, TLC, CNN and Max, will also air Shark Week-inspired content.

This year's Shark Week programming includes:

Belly of the Beast: Bigger and Bloodier, July 7 at 8 p.m. EDT

Marine biologist Dr. Austin Gallagher, marine scientist Liv Dixon, and legendary cameraman Kina Scollay travel to a new location and head back into the belly of a 29-foot whale decoy with new shark attractant features to create the biggest feeding frenzy ever with 18-foot 'Breeder' sharks in New Zealand.

Great White Serial Killer: Sea of Blood, July 8 at 10 p.m.

After two fatal great white shark attacks occurred off a small Mexican fishing village, shark attack survivor Paul De Gelder joins shark investigator Brandon McMillan and local biologist Gador Mutaner to launch a plan to ID the killers and keep the villagers in the Sea of Cortez safe.

Monster Hammerheads: Species X, July 9 at 10 p.m.

Dr. Austin Gallagher and his team of researchers including Liv Dixon, Zandi Ndhlovu, and Dr. Tristan Guttridge, investigate an aggressive population of Hammerhead Sharks in Turks and Caicos, which they believe could be an entirely new species.

Great White North, July 10 at 8 p.m.

There's a growing population of aggressive White Sharks in an unlikely location, Canada. Shark expert Andy Casagrande heads out on an expedition along Nova Scotia's coast to investigate a surge of great white shark encounters and figure out if this new population could be the largest in the world.

Caught! When Sharks Attack, July 11 at 9 p.m.

Researchers are witnessing an unusual amount of shark aggression and attacks. A team of experts will analyze the most intense shark encounters Caught! on camera, unveiling mysterious new behaviors within these dangerous interactions.

Shark Attack Island, July 12 at 10 p.m.

A South Pacific paradise has become a shark attack hot spot with bull, tiger, and great white sharks moving closer and closer to the resort beaches, fatally attacking seven people in the last five years. Dr. Riley Elliot, Paul De Gelder, and Kori Burkhardt conduct experiments to identify the species responsible and find out why they are attacking.

Mothersharker: Hammer Time, July 13 at 9 p.m.

Using the latest underwater ultrasound and birthing tag technology, researchers Dr. James Sulikowski and Beckah Campbell aim to solve the mystery of where the elusive pregnant scalloped hammerheads give birth -- and it may be closer than anyone realizes.