In the face of public outcry, Michael Phelps is standing by his Discovery Shark Week special, which saw the Olympic gold medalist lose a race to a CGI shark on Sunday.
In a Facebook video posted on Tuesday, Phelps called the experience “unbelievable,” adding, “this is something that I always wanted to do.”
“The shark experience was unbelievable,” the swimming phenomena said in the lengthy video, which touched on a variety of topics.
Addressing a commenter who was seemingly disappointed in the race, which aired Sunday, Phelps said, “I’m sorry you feel that way. For me, this was something that I always wanted to do, and I was honored to be able to do it.”
Discovery’s race between Phelps and a great white shark disappointed many viewers after they realized that the Olympic gold medalist wasn’t, in fact, racing side-by-side with a live shark.
In an apparent message to those who might have felt duped, Phelps said, “You can believe whatever you want. Everything was either presented on air during multiple interviews that I did about Shark Week or the beginning of the show.”
In the wake of the backlash, Discovery stood up for the special, which saw Phelps pitted against — and losing to — a CGI shark, saying that the network delivered what it promised.
“In ‘Phelps vs. Shark’ we enlisted world-class scientists to take up the challenge of making the world’s greatest swimmer competitive with a great white. The show took smart science and technology to make the challenge more accessible and fun,” Discovery said in a statement provided to TheWrap on Tuesday. “All the promotion, interviews and the program itself made clear that the challenge wasn’t a side by side race. During Michael’s pre-show promotion, as well as within the first two minutes of ‘Phelps vs. Shark,’ this message was clear and we are thrilled with the audience and the engagement around the world.”
While the safety hazards of putting Phelps alongside a shark in the water should probably be obvious, many viewers registered their disappointment as the reality of the situation became clear.
“Don’t say Phelps is racing a shark if you’re not going to put him against an actual shark #PhelpsVsShark #SharkWeek,” cautioned one critic on Twitter.
“Turns out “Michael Phelps races a shark” was really just “Michael Phelps swims alone and then compares his time to a shark’s time,” went another disappointed response.
Another viewer said she felt “robbed” by the experience, tweeting, “Call me crazy but I thought they were gonna put Phelps up against a real shark not a simulation. I feel robbed. #SharkWeek #PhelpsVsShark.”
Ultimately, Phelps lost the 100-meter contest by two seconds, finishing the race in 38.1 seconds compared to the shark’s 36.1 seconds.
If Phelps was disappointed by the results, however, he remained upbeat in the face of defeat, tweeting Sunday night, “Rematch? Next time..warmer water. #SW30 @Discovery @SharkWeek.”
Watch Phelps’ full video below.
10 Best and Worst Shark Week Specials, From 'Air Jaws' to 'Megalodon' (Videos)
When Discovery Channel started Shark Week back in 1988, it was designed to take the craze started 13 years prior by "Jaws" and use it to dispel movie myths and encourage people to understand sharks. But in recent years, the channel came under fire from scientists for using junk science to increase ratings. In response, Discovery has steadily moved back to fact-based docs, but some skepticism remains.
Insightful: "Jaws Strikes Back" - This special follows biologist Greg Skomal and his team as they head to the Pacific to tag the largest great whites in the world with a drone cam that allows them to study their hunting patterns. Things take an unexpected turn, however, when one of the sharks attacks the camera.
Idiotic: "Shark of Darkness - Wrath of Submarine": Great whites can grow to be 23 feet long, but this show claimed that a 30-foot shark off the coast of South Africa called Submarine was responsible for multiple attacks. It opens with a dramatization disclaimer and gets even worse from there, using dubious sources to play into the fear that Shark Week once sought to overcome.
Insightful: "Alien Sharks of the Deep" - Beyond your usual great whites and hammerheads, there's also sharks that have been able to adapt to the extreme conditions of deep sea environments. "Alien Sharks" takes a look at these bizarre-looking creatures, including the filter-feeding Megamouth.
Idiotic: "Shark After Dark" - Discovery once decided to cash in on Shark Week's mainstream popularity with a late-night after show. The cringeworthy fare included obnoxious celebrities, drinking games built around shark trivia, and comedy bits featuring dudes in shark suits. Oh, and it was hosted by the guy who made "Hostel."
Insightful: "Air Jaws" - This has become one of Shark Week's finest series, using extreme slow motion cameras to show great whites soaring out of the water to feed. Yes, it's terrifying, but unlike "Wrath of Submarine," it's the kind of terrifying that also evokes respect and awe.
Idiotic: "Monster Hammerhead" - Discovery has been accused of lying to scientists about the true nature of what they wanted to film. A member of the research team at Shedd Aquarium told IO9 that a film crew had come to them claiming they wanted to document their work on studying hammerheads. Instead, the footage was used for "Monster Hammerhead," a sensationalist lie that claimed the team was searching for a mythical hammerhead that had been seen off Florida's coast for 60 years.
Insightful: "Tiger Beach" -- The title of this doc refers to a shallow-water area of the Bahamas that is teeming with tiger sharks, which are known for eating almost anything. This results in some of the most gorgeous underwater cinematography Shark Week has ever put on TV.
Idiotic: "Great White Serial Killer" -- The title should make it clear why this is idiotic, but interviews with "experts" who aren't scientists and hyperbolic narration seal the deal. "It isn't a frivolous comparison to call a shark a serial killer," says the voiceover. Actually, it is beyond frivolous.
Insightful: "Mythbusters" -- When it comes to cool, interesting science, no one brings the goods better than Adam and Jamie. "Mythbusters" cooked up a few shark-related tests for Shark Week during its run, including a test to see what can truly keep people from being attacked by sharks.
Idiotic: "Megalodon: The New Evidence" -- This was the sequel to "Megalodon: The Monster Shark Lives," the docufiction special that kicked the crusade against Shark Week into overdrive, yet Discovery decided to respond the the controversy by doubling down with this follow-up. For many fans, this was the last straw, which finally forced the channel to clean up the chum.
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Which specials are staying true to Discovery’s original mission and which are a load of dumb chum?
When Discovery Channel started Shark Week back in 1988, it was designed to take the craze started 13 years prior by "Jaws" and use it to dispel movie myths and encourage people to understand sharks. But in recent years, the channel came under fire from scientists for using junk science to increase ratings. In response, Discovery has steadily moved back to fact-based docs, but some skepticism remains.
