It’s one of the most dangerous shows that the Discovery Channel has ever done.
The network has combined their two biggest hits, Naked and Afraid and Shark Week, into a two-hour special airing Sunday night — and it’s every bit as terrifying as it sounds.
Naked and Afraid of Sharks strands five former Naked and Afraid survivalists on a barren island in the middle of the most shark-infested waters on earth. The island, located in the Bahamas, does not have the resources to sustain them, so they will have to venture out into the water to find food.
Unlike other Naked and Afraid adventures, the participants will get some fishing equipment, but everything else is the same.
But here’s the big problem: Whenever the survivalists spear a fish, the movement (and the blood) is enough to attract huge sharks that swim dangerously close to the naked people. An exclusive preview is above.
PEOPLE caught up with one of the survivalists to talk about the experience. Steven Lee Hall joins survivalists Ky Furneaux, Ryan Holt, Chris Fischer and Eva Rupert in the 14-day adventure.
“It was intense,” Hall tells PEOPLE. “I’ve done Naked and Afraid for 21 days in Alabama and 40 days in Africa, but this was definitely the hardest one. From the heat, the weather and the bugs, this was really hard. And then the only food you can eat is being guarded by earth’s most deadly predators. It really pushed me to my limits.”
But what about the beauty of the desert island? “I always wanted to be stranded on an island,” Hall says, “but here’s a rule of thumb: the more beautiful a place is, the more deadly it is. There’s a reason why there aren’t houses on that island; it’s an unforgiving place.”
So let’s address the big question: The survivalists are naked in the water. There are sharks. And in the case of the male participants, there’s an added level of vulnerability.
“I would cover up with both hands when I could,” Hall says, laughing. “Because I didn’t want them to be attracted to that part of my body and go in for a bite. It was always on my mind, how to protect myself.”
The full show, Naked and Afraid of Sharks, will air as a two-hour special on Sunday, July 29 at 9 p.m. on the Discovery Channel.
