For most biology buffs, animal lovers, and Discovery Channel fans, this week marks one of the most beloved and anticipated marathons on your televisions: Shark Week. The annual marathon, going on it's 28th year of airing, has grown a cult-like following, prompting viewers from all over the country to tune in for seven solid days, 24 hours, to watch everything from documentaries, true stories, classic movies, and television specials, leaving no inch of television screen untouched by marine life.To put these creatures under an even bigger microscope, June 24th commenced the opening weekend of former Gossip Girl Blake Lively's new survival-horror flick, The Shallows. In it, Lively portrays a stranded surfer who must fend off a vicious Great White in order to leave the seas with her life. Bottom line: the world has gone shark-crazy.

Yes, it is safe to say that the mass media's consistent love affair with all things shark-y has reached an all-time high this week; providing the public with all types of oceanic action. And with all of the hubbub surrounding this fan-favorite predator, it only seems appropriate to uncover the truth about the shark species. Here are just a few shark facts that you may have missed on your week-long binge of the Discovery Channel:

Scary or just scared?

With it's colossal stature, hungry eyes, and teeth that could rip just about anything to shreds, the shark could be considered one of the biggest, baddest living creatures around. Between everything you've seen in movies, read in books, and watched on television, it's not hard to stereotype this line leader of the food chain as a bloodthirsty, killing machine. However, the shark is actually one of the most critically endangered species of the sea, dwindling in numbers due to shark-fining and fishing accidents. It has even been estimated that for every human killed by a shark, humans have killed two million sharks. So, who should be more scared?

Lightening, air fresheners, and buckets! Oh my!

It is often thrown around that getting attacked by a shark is approximately a one in a million chance. Actually, the odds of getting killed in a shark attack are far less than even those near-impossible odds. In fact, there is a one in 3.7 million chance that a shark will be your demise.Among other things, you are statistically much more likely to get injured by a lightening strike, room air fresheners, or a bucket and pail than by a shark. So all of those movies where the ferocious shark is terrorizing the fishermen and can't wait to bring them to their death? Not accurate.The numbers can't lie.

Basic math: dirty oceans + sharks = extinction.

Just like climate change and pollution are slowly deteriorating our environment on dry land, our oceans and marine life feel just as much pain. With having no other options, sharks are forced to breed and inhabit murky, gritty garbage, proving to be dangerous for both their well being and that of their offspring.

So this Shark Week, take a minute to remember that the shark is not as evil or bloodthirsty as it appears. These are real animals with real dangers ahead of them if the world doesn't take action soon. Hollywood loves to glamorize the shark as the savage bully of the sea, but in reality, it's just severely misunderstood.