Chompie: Yeah, we know what you’re going to say. He’s a giant, inflatable, five-piece mascot and he isn’t even in D.C. But Discovery’s Shark Week is one of the great summer traditions, and for its 25th year, Chompie, the mascot to eat all other mascots, made his tremendous return to Discovery Communicatons’ headquarters over downtown Silver Spring.

Come back, Chompie! (Courtesy of Discovery Communications)

Some might have had their fill of shark-related programming earlier this month with the broadcasting of a certain SyFy movie, but true shark aficionados know the real bounty is just days away.

The 26th iteration of Discovery’s Shark Week begins Sunday, but the annual programming block will feel empty to its local fans. Although the network is promising a flotilla of exciting selachimorphae shows and promotional events across the country, anyone who flocks to Discovery’s headquarters in downtown Silver Spring will surely notice the absence of Chompie.

Sadly, the inflatable great white shark that sometimes graces Discovery’s building will not be deployed this year as he did in 2006, 2010, and again last year. Chompie, a five-piece installation, measures 446 feet from nose to tail, features fins that span more than 200 feet, and would weigh more than 84,000 if it were a real shark. The float was manufactured in 2006 by CMEANN Productions, a California company that manufactures large-scale, inflatable promotional materials.

But a Discovery spokesperson says the network only breaks him out on “special” occasions, such as last year, which was the quarter-century edition of Shark Week. Not that there was anything special about 2010, but such is the life of an inflatable shark.

Chompie was actually unnamed in his debut appearance, and received the moniker from Discovery in 2010, though a Silver Spring blogger claimed he had already named the inflatable shark “Chompy.” However, a trademark law expert sided with Discovery in the naming dispute.

Still, Shark Week just won’t be the same without Chompie lording over Silver Spring. Discovery is planning a Shark Week screening event in downtown Silver Spring on Friday night, which will feature an appearance by “Chompie Jr.” But that’s nothing more than a Discovery employee in a fuzzy shark costume.

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