BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) -- There is not a week of television programming devoted to giraffes or aardvarks or pandas. But, sharks have been spotlighted for decades with the latest week dedicated to them starting at 8 p.m. July 7 on Discovery Channel. John Cena hosts 21 hours of new programming for “Shark Week” that features encounters with apex predators, epic deep-sea expeditions, and weighty concerns about the poop from the fattest white sharks patrolling the waters. "I usually do ‘Shark Week’ from my couch but this year I'm beyond excited to host the week dedicated to the endlessly fascinating, action heroes of the ocean,” Cena says. "It's a wild week of shocking new footage, new discoveries, and lots and lots of teeth." The annual week-long celebration of sharks will include: the next chapter of “Belly of the Beast,” that offers a real look at a Great White shark feeding frenzy; “Monster Hammerheads:Species X,” that follows a potential new hammerhead species; and “Great White Serial Killer: Sea of Blood,” that investigates a massive shark who decapitates its victim and terrorizes a local village. Paul de Gelder, an Australian Navy diver who lost two limbs in a shark attack, will be featured in the episodes “Great White Serial Killer: Sea of Blood”, “Sydney Harbor Shark Invasion”, “Deadliest Bite”, “The Real Sharkano” and “Shark Attack Island.” He understands why there continues to be such a fascination with sharks. “It does play on people’s fears and people’s fears keep them interested,” de Gelder says. “That’s the same reason people love watching scary sci-fi and horror movies. It makes you feel things that you wouldn’t normally feel in everyday life. “You get to feel that fear and excitement from the safety of your couch.” He adds that the fact sharks are so interesting and fascinating is a testament to why “Shark Week” has been going on for 35 years. Each season includes new information and experiments dealing with sharks. One of the opening night offerings, “Sydney Harbor Shark Invasion” set for 11 p.m., has de Gelder returning to the site of his own 2009 shark attack for the first time. He joins Madison Stewart to investigate a recent Great White Shark attack that occurred near Sydney Harbor, Australia – the first fatal incident in the region in almost 60 years. The number of reports of shark attacks that populate the evening news might suggest that they are getting more aggressive. That is not the case according to de Gelder. “I think that humans and sharks are coming into contact in realms that are fairly unsafe such as murky waters in the Sea of Cortez where fishermen are diving for clams and they have no protection,” de Gelder says. “It is the luck of the draw. These Great Whites are coming through because it is a migratory route for them.” The other factor that would suggest an increase in the aggressiveness of sharks is the way the media covers each event. The way de Gelder sees it is that the stories are sensationalized to attract more viewers. That is where “Shark Week” is different. Each episode is designed to educate and inform using the top shark experts on the planet. Marine biologist Tom Hird hosts “6000lb. Shark” set to debut at 9 p.m. July 9. Hird and Leigh de Necker go searching for the fattest Great White Sharks off the coast of New Zealand and attempt to obtain their poop to study what they are eating. Using cutting-edge science, they aim to weigh a great white accurately for the first time, revealing if they can reach a staggering 6,000 pounds. Hird suggests the fascination with sharks is obvious. “They kick [expletive deleted]. They are awesome,” Hird says. “I always saw them as the organic equivalent of cars. People have been racing Mustangs and Ferraris for years and years. And they will for years and years to come. “Sharks are the same. They are beautiful. They are fast. They are powerful. And people remain drawn to that.” Hird adds that despite the fact there have been decades of studies done on sharks, they remain rather mysterious creatures. An example of that is Hird’s episode that documents a three-ton shark. “The initial idea was to go out there and see how big these animals are getting in New Zealand because it is such an understudied area,” Hird says. “What we found out is that it becomes more and more plausible that these animals, given the right conditions and the right food and right number of years, there is nothing stopping them from becoming the submarines of the seas.” Both men agree the fascination only gets greater each year. The bottom line for de Gelder as to why “Shark Week” continues to be so popular is very simple. “What’s not to like? Travel. Adventure. Excitement. Sharks,” de Gelder says.