Michael Phelps raced a great white shark for a Shark Week special that aired Sunday night on Discovery Channel.
But apart from stepping into a cage to get up close and personal with the sea creature, Phelps was not actually swimming in the water alongside the shark. Instead, data on the shark’s top swimming speed was collected, and producers used CGI to simulate a shark swimming in the water side-by-side with Phelps. This left many viewers disappointed, and they hit Twitter to share their reactions.
Below, a sample of what they’re saying about the race.
When Michael Phelps said he was gonna race a shark this is how I pictured it happening #SharkWeek pic.twitter.com/GiEfJssNhL
— Ryan Homler (@RHomler) July 24, 2017
If you think I’m about to waste an hour of my life watching Michael Phelps race a shark then you’re absolutely correct
— Emily Arrowood (@emilyaarrowood) July 24, 2017
Great White Shark top speed: 25 mph
Michael Phelps top speed: 6 mph
Saved you an hour. #SharkWeek
— Weston Shepherd (@WShep) July 24, 2017
Me pretending to be ok with Michael Phelps not racing a real shark pic.twitter.com/QnCF98NfBB
— Gabi Palamone (@Yo_Gabi_Gabi__) July 24, 2017
smh Michael Phelps isn’t actually racing a shark. He’s just racing a simulation of a shark. Biggest scam of 2017
— Marcus ¬ (@M_Frosti) July 24, 2017
When you find out that Michael Phelps isn’t actually racing an actual shark pic.twitter.com/6KwHGaWXc9
— t (@tatummowery) July 24, 2017
“Obviously, we cannot put a great white shark in one lane and Michael Phelps in the other.”#SharkWeek pic.twitter.com/w6E4Tl1D5X
— CAR Panthers News (@CarPanthersNews) July 24, 2017
Turns out “Michael Phelps races a shark” was really just “Michael Phelps swims alone and then compares his time to a shark’s time.”
— Gary Parrish (@GaryParrishCBS) July 24, 2017
So you mean to tell me Michael Phelps didn’t even race a real shark? It was just a simulation. I’m mad. More like Shark WEAK! pic.twitter.com/gwIGTe7Y9p
— Frank Costa (@feistyfrank) July 24, 2017
I didn’t think Michael Phelps would actually race the shark, but I’m kind of disappointed he’s not going to race the shark.
— Kelly Speller (@kellspell) July 24, 2017
Michael phelps is racing a CGI shark. The world is yet again a meme.
— maxwell (@maxneary13) July 24, 2017
Sign of the apocolyse, and confirmation of the idiocy of America…..Phelps vs Shark.
— Jim DeAntonio (@jimithing123) July 24, 2017
i’m disappointed because i thought Phelps was racing an actual shark :/ #SharkWeek
— olivia hager (@oliviahager) July 24, 2017
i thought they were gonna have michael phelps swim right next to a real shark. sad to say i am #dissapointed
— T SIZZLE (@tesshawess) July 24, 2017
I was really hoping Phelps would be in the same water as the shark #PhelpsVShark
— Tyler Cavalli (@RadioCavalli) July 24, 2017
LB thought Michael Phelps and the great white shark would ACTUALLY be swimming side-by-side pic.twitter.com/7cOMR8lemD
— ? S ? (@eventualdoctor) July 24, 2017
