Take Shark Week mobile with these 8 apps & games

Shark Week, the television event of the summer that might have you thinking twice about your plans to head to the beach this weekend, is back for its 27th year. While you can get your shark fix right on your TV, why not take all of that shark action on the go? We’re running down the best shark-related apps for Android — from the educational to blood-spilling fun — to make every week Shark Week. We’re gonna need a bigger boat (or SD card, in this case).

Discovery Channel

With a week’s worth of shark-related television airing night and day, you can safely tune to Discovery Channel at any point to get your fix. However, if you want to make sure you don’t miss Shark Week exclusives like Lair of the Mega Shark and Monster Hammerhead, downloading the official Discovery Channel app is a good move. Get access to Discovery’s television schedule, clips, and full shows right on your mobile device.

The app does suffer from a lack of updates (the last coming over a year ago) and it isn’t exclusive to Shark Week content, but if you want your sharks straight from the source it’s your best bet.

Global Shark Tracker

If you’ve caught any of the numerous educational programs airing during Shark Week, you’ll know that tagging these fearsome fish with GPS trackers is a common occurrence. Wouldn’t it be awesome to have access to the same tracking data scientists use in their study of these magnificent creatures? Would you feel a bit safer going in the water if you knew exactly how close the nearest Great White is patrolling? Global Shark Tracker lets you do just that, showing the pinged locations OCEARCH’s expansive network of tagged sharks.

The purpose offers the average person firsthand insight into the habits and migration patterns of many different species of sharks. Global Shark Tracker isn’t the flashiest app in terms of design, but it offers a unique experience you won’t find elsewhere.

Shark Bytes

If you are more comfortable not knowing the exact location of the nearest shark but still want to get educated on shark safety, Shark Bytes is the app for you. Shark Bytes provides a database detailing dozens of shark attacks and related incidents, the sharks involved, and more. You can search by location to read up on the beach of your choice and even access tips on how to avoid becoming Jaws’ next meal.

While Shark Bytes highlights the dangerous encounters humans have had with sharks, it’s creators “believe that education is the answer to improving human and shark relations.” With this in mind, conservation of these sea dwellers is a focal point of the app.

Shark Trivia

Now that you have educated yourself on the ins and outs of sharks, it’s time to test your knowledge with Shark Trivia. Questions run the gamut of shark-related topics, and the app allows you to test your skills alone or with friends as a pass-and-play group trivia game. Find out who is at the top of the food chain and which of your friends is merely a bottom feeder.

Shark Fingers 3D Aquarium

Ever wanted to know what it would be like to feed your friend to a shark? Me neither, but Shark Fingers 3D gives you that opportunity. This “aquarium” app features 3D sharks that interact with user input, nipping at your fingers and leaving clouds of blood in their wake. Load up live camera input to place your friends (or enemies) into the shark tank and double-tap to order them to attack.

Hungry Shark Evolution

Live the life of a hungry shark, growing from mere pup to lethal killing machine as you swim, chomp, and eat your way through everything in your path. Hungry Shark Evolution pits the user against a sea full of dangers and tasty treats in this free-world swimmer. Now you can experience what its like to be one of the most merciless predators to ever roam the high seas. Even better, Hungry Shark recently received an official Shark Week update.

Jaws Revenge

You can play as any old shark, or you can play as the shark that started it all. Jaws revenge lets you take control of the man-eater made famous in Steven Spielberg’s classic, scarfing your way through 40 levels of chum-filled waters. One-touch play makes this an easy one to pick up but hard to put down.

Sharknado

With all the talk of Shark Week, let’s not forget that other shark-crazed television event. Arriving alongside last month’s Sharnado 2 premier comes the official Sharknado app, which allows users to “shark” themselves by inserting their photos into a number of backgrounds inspired by SyFy channel movie. Because who has never wanted to face down a swirling column full of deadly flying sharks?

Have your own app suggestion for Shark Week? Let us know in the comments below!