Shark fascination still a hit

Les Stroud’s arsenal of survival know-how has gotten him through some risky terrestrial escapades on his “Survivorman” series. But as Shark Week’s underwater anchor, he discovered you can’t just roll with the punches.

Sometimes you have to throw a punch yourself – which is exactly what Stroud did during the filming of “Shark Feeding Frenzy,” casting a right hook into the snout of a Caribbean reef shark that had mistaken his hand for a meal.

Luckily for Stroud, it worked. The shark swam away, leaving him with only minor cuts and bruises where the predator’s teeth had torn through the protective chain mail that wrapped his wet suit.

Stroud, who likened the reef shark’s bite to that of a German shepherd, credits the reflexive punch to his ability to remain cool in dicey situations.

“The best way to stay calm is having that understanding that, in truth, the majority of predators don’t want anything to do with you,” he says.

“They are afraid of being injured. You injure their jaw, they can’t get food. They understand that.”

Punching a shark’s snout – which can stun its sensory ability to detect a prey’s electric current – is one of the safety tips loaded into the eight new programs airing during Discovery Channel’s 20th annual Shark Week, starting tonight.

Shark Week, initiated in 1988 and watched by more than 19 million viewers last year, is cable television’s longest-running event.

Discovery Channel general manager Jane Root, citing the great white rogue of the 1975 movie “Jaws” as the pilot of mainstream shark mania, says curiosity and excitement about the carnivorous creatures continue to surge.

“There’s always a moment when you think, ‘How much more can you say about sharks?’ but they are these astonishing predators from another era that swim around the world,” Root says.

“There’s something very primal about sharks that is both very frightening and intriguing.”

Tonight’s two-hour “Ocean of Fear: Worst Shark Attack Ever” launches Discovery’s slate of new specials. The story, centering on the 1945 sinking of the USS Indianapolis into the shark-infested Pacific, is narrated by “Jaws” actor Richard Dreyfuss.

Other less grisly premieres cover shark evolution, shark hypnosis and a New Guinea tribe’s ancient “shark whispering” ritual.

Viewer-selected encores of past years’ favorite shows round out the channel’s 130 hours of programming.

“Is 20 years enough time to end our fascination?” Stroud asks. “Probably not. It’ll probably take another 20 years.”