It’s Discovery Channel’s Shark Week, a week of TV programs dedicated to sharks. Shark Week began in 1988 and is now broadcast in 72 countries.

Here’s some educational apps about these creatures who capture the interest of so many people – young and old!

SeaWorld: Ruckus Reader presents – Shark Goes to the Doctor, an engaging story that follows a sand tiger shark as it is checked by vets. Kids learn interesting facts about sharks’ lives. The cost is currently $3.99.

Download link for SeaWorld: Ruckus Reader: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/seaworld-ruckus-reader/id515220048?mt=8&uo=4

FREE – Sea TV is a collaborative effort between Adobe and Monterey Bay Aquarium (a highly ranked U.S. aquarium) to bring its Open Seas Exhibit to your mobile device! The Open Sea is a million gallon exhibit with a 90-foot window. You may see sharks speed past, sardines swimming in glittering schools, and/or sea turtles on the live video stream. You can also watch videos on demand.

Download link for Sea TV: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/sea-tv/id530529039?mt=8&uo=4

FREE – Global Shark Tracker lets you follow the navigational pattern of sharks that have been tagged with satellite tracking technology.  The purpose of this tracking is for shark conservation and the collection of data on the health of sharks. Very cool!

Download link for Global Shark Tracker:https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/global-shark-tracker/id570772231?mt=8&uo=4

Currently $4.99 – Discovery Kids Sharks for kids 6+. If your child loves sharks, this is a must-have educational app! Kids will learn: shark anatomy, types of sharks, how sharks hunt, where sharks live, and about shark families. The app includes 5 interactive games and 30 digital trading cards that can be shared via email. This app has a great mix of videos (from Discovery’s Shark Week files), fabulous photos of sharks in their natural environment, 150+ interesting shark facts, and a few games. Teachers could use the information in this app to teach a lesson on comparing and contrasting – using a Venn diagram or other graphic organizer. Kids will love learning about sharks using this fun, cool app!

Treasure Kai and the Lost Gold of Shark Island is an adventure story of a 10-year-old treasure hunter named Kai. Kai is always dreaming about treasure and looking for it in his parents’ store: The Treasure Shop. Kai’s dreams magically transport him to Shark Island where he finds a treasure chest. And so the adventure begins…. Kids help in the hunt for gold by choosing from 8 different treasure chests. Each chest reveals another clue – leading Kai through more adventures. Along the way there are animations to discover, great sound effects, and an original score. This digital story is similar to the “choose your own adventure” books with an “Indiana Jones” feel to it. It is different every time it is read with thousands of ways to find the treasure. This app would be great for kids who are a bit older and becoming independent readers. Very cool. 🙂

Visit the website for a preview http://treasurekai.com/. After reading the story, your child can go back to the website for a variety of extras: watch fun fact videos, go behind the scenes, play a video game, work some puzzles, and more.

Currently $2.99 – Ocean – Animal Adventures for Kids, an educational app for preschoolers. Kids will become sea life experts as they explore 3 ocean scenes – a coral reef, a shark reef, and the deep-sea. The app has two modes – one for tapping/interacting with the creatures and the other for listening to/learning facts about them. Kids will learn fun facts about more than 30 animals and be delighted with the 60+ animations. The app is narrated in 12 languages – English, German, French, Spanish, Russian, Swedish, Japanese, Chinese, Portuguese (Brazilian), Turkish, Dutch and Italian. Check out this cute interactive book for your 1 – 5 year old today. 🙂

Download link: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/ocean-animal-adventures-for/id819165012?mt=8&uo=4