Galeophobia or the extreme fear of sharks probably conjures up images of the Great White shark as depicted in Jaws, the popular blockbuster movie known for its dramatic music and superb visual effects that exacerbated the fear of sharks in the minds of its viewers. While a majority of the viewers tend to forget this fear of sharks; a Galeophobic individual continues to experience it persistently and irrationally.
The word Galeophobia is coined from the Greek word “Galeos” which stands for small sharks or dogfish (in particular, sharks having markings like those of a weasel) and “Phobos” which means deep dread or fear. The term is alternatively used for Ailurophobia (or the fear of cats) since Galeos is derived from galee which stands for polecats or weasel like animals. (Note that the fear of sharks is also called Selachophobia.)
Sufferers of this phobia are extremely afraid of going near oceans, lakes, rivers, on ships and boats or even visiting aquariums or zoos despite the fact that sharks are safely restricted behind sturdy glass windows. In some cases, the fear is so bad that the individual faints at the mere image or word about sharks.
Causes of fear of sharks
As stated before, media is the most likely cause of the fear of sharks. Sharks are portrayed as vicious or dangerous creatures. Movies like Jaws (1975), Dark Tide (2011) and Deep Blue Sea (1999) etc have particularly depicted these creatures in a negative light.
The physical appearance of sharks is often deemed as scary. They have razor sharp teeth and cold emotionless eyes. Their fins (which are seen protruding out of the water in movies) are viewed as ‘ominous’. To young children and anxious adults, these can conjure up frightening images of bloodthirsty, violent creatures that are seeking human prey.
A traumatic past event related to sharks (that has either happened directly or indirectly to the sufferer) might also cause Galeophobia. Usually however, it is media news reports of shark sightings, of surfers or swimmers being killed or bitten that triggers the exaggerated fear of sharks.
Symptoms of Galeophobia
Galeophobia sufferers tend to experience intense panic or anxiety attacks at the mere mention of or images of sharks. Following are the symptoms of fear of sharks:
- An elevated heart rate
- Shortness of breath, chest pains
- Sweating profusely or trembling
- Feeling nauseated
- Experiencing deep mental anguish, dizziness or fainting.
Many phobics also scream or close their eyes each time there is an underwater scene in movies. Some individuals tend to show avoidance behavior; they refrain from going on outings remotely connected to sharks. This includes aquariums, theme parks like Sea World, beaches, rivers and zoos etc. Many refuse to swim in oceans or even in public swimming pools despite the fact that these are not remotely connected to sharks.
Treating and overcoming the fear of sharks
Galeophobia can be overcome in a variety of ways. Many theme parks offer “swim with the sharks” programs that can help sufferers face their fear. If this is too extreme, one can start small or gradually. This involves looking at pictures of sharks or watching movies about them until one can progress to visiting places where sharks are available.
Talking to a psychoanalyst or hypnotherapist can also help one get to the root of the fear. Likewise cognitive behavior therapy can help identify why sharks are causing such an intense fear in the phobic’s mind.
Educating oneself about sharks can be extremely helpful in overcoming shark phobia. Doctors and therapists are especially blaming the media for exaggerating shark attack stories. In reality, sharks are not cold blooded killers they are made out to be; only 30 species of sharks in the world are actually dangerous or have been known to attack humans. Thus, your Galeophobia, as its definition says, is unjustified.
Morgan says
Hi, if you are reading this comment, you must know that I have galeophobia. Go grab a snack or a drink and be ready to hear why I have it. Sharks are my favorite animal, yet I’m literally scared to death by them. What I’m mostly afraid of is the great white shark for the most obvious reasons. My favorite shark is the tiger shark, which is right behind the great white shark and is the most deadly. It all started when I first had swimming lessons in an indoor pool, and it was a BIG pool, almost 3-5 feet. Every time I took a step in there, I would think that there would be a shark, alligator, or snake. When I thought of that, I would feel very hot, highly nervous, shaking, and have shortness of breath and an elevated heart rate. I would sometimes cry and get out of the water as fast as possible, or just swim very fast and stay near the deck. We have two pools in our natatorium, a small one that’s 2-3 feet, and a big one that’s 3-5 feet. I was at least over 3 1/2, which means that I couldn’t swim very well in the 5 feet. I’m fine when there’s at least 1 person with me in the small pool, but when I’m in the big pool, I need 5 or more people there with me. Whenever I looked below the surface of the water, I would imagine there was a shark or alligator shadow there. I started to calm down when I knew that sharks and snakes cannot survive in chlorine water, but alligators and crocodiles? Yup, it does not hurt them one bit. I would look at pictures of sharks and I would get a little nervous and cautious. I would also be afraid whenever I took a bath or a shower. When I took a bath, I would imagine a shark or a snake bust out of the drain and bite me. When I took a shower, I would imagine a huge shark bust out of the wall and eat me alive. Yup, my fear of sharks is that bad. Thanks for taking the time to read this comment, and I hope you enjoyed and finished your snack or drink. I should probably stop typing.
Molly says
Hi Morgan,
Like many others on here, I, too, have an extreme fear of sharks. I can’t say exactly when it started, but it got exacerbated after watching Jaws. I’m not afraid of baths, showers, or pools, but boats, the ocean, and even jetties without railing.
I have worked hard on one major one, and that is flying airplanes. Not because I’m scared of flying; I love to fly, but there is a lot of ocean that we fly over, and I always worry if the plane falls into the ocean. I can’t watch anything that depicts sharks, not even a movie trailer. The worst part is I live by the ocean. I won’t even walk on the sand because of snakes, but also if we get a high tide. I have been in a few oceans, but I always have to know if there are shark nets; if not, then it’s a no-go. Living where I do is a great white territory, so forget it, lol.
I can honestly say I doubt very much that I’ll get over the fear. It’s only gotten stronger as I’ve gotten older, to the point that I won’t even take my nieces or nephews down to the beach.
Axel says
Hi, I’m 16 years old, and I’ve been having this phobia for a long time. Also, when it comes to showering, I think about sharks and get so scared I scream. Sometimes, I faint because of how frightened I am.
Kat says
Ever since I watched Jaws, I’ve been too scared to go near any body of water, an ocean, a pool, or even the bathtub or shower until after a few months. Even in the shower, whenever I think of a shark, I freak out and jump out of the shower. I can’t go into a pool unless at least two people are with me. I can’t even drink a dark liquid for fear of it having a tiny shark that will bite my nose.
Elizabeth says
I’m 19, and I have been scared of sharks for as long as I can remember. My family and friends don’t relate to my fear at all and tend to make fun of me for it. My mom thinks sharks are a little creepy, but I’m the only one in my family with a fear of sharks this intense. It’s stupid, but I’m absolutely TERRIFIED of them. I’m scared of every type of shark, but the great white scares me the most for obvious reasons. I can go in pools if there are at least two or more people in there with me, and maybe if the pool is clear enough for me to see through, I’ll be fine. But if it’s just me and one other person or just me by myself, I start freaking out. It makes no sense that if I take a bubble bath (because I can’t see through the water) or a shower, I act fine, but an ordinary bath makes me think a shark is going to come up through the drain and bite me. I know it’s stupid, and when I was a kid, my parents gave me a long talk about how there is no possible way that a shark will be able to come through the drain in a shower and that there is no way it could get in a pool. They also talked about how low the risk of being attacked by a shark in the ocean was, but it makes no difference. If I see a picture or video of a shark or even hear the word shark mentioned, I start hyperventilating and close my eyes, or either just leave the room. Even seeing photos/videos or a movie scene of the ocean gives me bad anxiety that somewhere in the picture, there’s a shark lurking beneath the water. I love swimming, but my fear of sharks makes me avoid going into the ocean for fear that there is a shark somewhere in the water. I hate water that I can’t see through because it makes me think that there is a shark beneath me when swimming. I’ve tried looking up photos of sharks and scrolling through them, but the first picture makes me flinch, start to hyperventilate, and then shut off my computer. I know, it’s so bad. Once, when I was just about eight years old, my family bought an inflatable pool with a coral reef print on it, and I refused to go in it because I thought that there was going to be a shark in the reef on the print. My family and friends used to make play pranks on me because of my fear by showing me photos of sharks to make me look at them and then scream. My brother even went so far as to put a fake shark fin in the pool when I was 10. I have never encountered a shark in person before, so that has nothing to do with it. It might be a little bit influenced by the media, but it’s mostly because of a shark’s appearance. Everything from their black eyes and teeth gives me chills. It scares me just thinking about it. It makes me feel better, though, knowing that I’m not the only person with this irrational fear and all of your comments are really relatable to me. I hope I get over it soon since I have had it my whole life. Well, I should probably stop typing now lol.
Lindsey Sahin says
Hi, Elizabeth,
I’m Lindsey, and I have never ever met anyone else in my life who has literally typed out EVERY SINGLE THING that I fear relating to sharks and crazy events that I imagine that I logically know could NEVER happen but think of it anyways.
Thank you for this. Let’s be friends, lol.
Kat says
Wow, this is so relatable! After watching Jaws, I couldn’t go into the pool, ocean, or bathtub again for a few months. One of my main sports is swimming, but if there’s no one else in the water, I have to keep looking back to see if there’s a shark following me. This is the first time I’ve met so many people like me. Wow!
gorge says
Since I watched Jaws and all that, I’ve been scared to go near a pool or beach or even take a shower.
Bella says
Hi. I am not scared of sharks anymore, but I was when I was 7 when one swam between my legs at the beach.
Keghan MacGlashin says
I know that most people will say that to get a phobia like Selachophobia you need to have been in a shark attack or something traumatic like that but I don’t think that is true at all! As long as I remember knowing about sharks I’ve hated them. It might have been Jaws or something else because I honestly don’t know. I have gotten better at containing to other people but when I was in middle school it was so bad that my classmates would purposely show me pictures and videos of sharks just to see me jump out of my seat and yell. It was cruel and definitely never made anything better. Even now just swimming in a pool or something I can’t help but think that a shark is going to come and take a big chomp out of me. I think the thing that bothers me the most is how they attack. A lot of them will lie low in the depths until you are vulnerable and then charge full speed at you from below and you have no time to react. So I am always fearful even in pools that something is gonna come from the depths and break through the bottom of the pool to get me. The worst part is that I know my fear is completely irrational but no matter how much I tell myself that it doesn’t matter, it still terrifies me. For the most part I like to live my life by statistics and facts so normally something like this wouldn’t be hard for me to fix, but no matter how hard I try I can’t logic my way out of sharks so that is why I think I have Selachophobia.
Emily says
Exactly, I have the same problem. I have never been attacked or had even contact with a shark but I’m still so scared. I have thalassophobia and I am afraid of sharks. I have this phobia because when I was 6, I almost drowned. That’s why I am scared. But the shark phobia came with no trauma literally.
Estella says
Same! I’ve had this phobia since I was probably 6-8 or so but the weird thing is I can sort of look at pictures of a nerf shark and hammer shark, and all I experience is the shortness of breath, sweating and elevated heart rate, but I cannot even look at a drawn picture of a great white. I’ve tried searching up drawn pictures of one on my phone and I can’t even come to touch my phone because I feel like I am touching the shark. I cry, run out of breath and get dizzy. I get so sweaty and it’s so sad for me because water is my life. I’m a competitive swimmer since the age of 7. I’ve been swimming since I was 3. I feel like I have an emotional connection with water and I’m a lifeguard, but I cannot swim alone because I start seeing great white shadows. If I go in a pool (a damn pool) I hyperventilate like crazy and try to get out ASAP and the lakes are worse. I live in Canada in a province where there’s not even crocodiles in the lakes, but I’m still scared. I hate it. I can’t do what I love which is swimming. I can’t even get to the root of my phobia.
Elizabeth says
Omg, it’s so relatable what you said about being afraid to look at photos of sharks on your phone and feel like you’re touching the shark. I’m not as scared of other types of sharks as you said, but the great white makes me flip out lol (I’m from Canada too!)
Abby says
I have the same problem, especially in swimming pools. It’s so weird. I hate going to beaches. I also have a fear of my family getting eaten by a shark. Whenever they go in the water, I get petrified. How about you?
tammy says
Wow, I’m the same as you guys! I’m 12 and my fear only started a year ago. Sure, great whites are scary, I’d have a panic attack if I saw one, but my main fear is the megalodon. It’s extinct, but that thing sure does freak me out. I can’t even look at a picture of a shark or look at the sea without almost crying or panicking. The fear of sharks has made me scared of baths and water in general. I take showers, and as soon as I get the image of a shark in my head, I scream in a panic and jump out. Even when the word ‘shark’ is said when I’m in or near water it makes me scream.
hector says
It feels really bad.
noel says
Well I’m a girl. I can’t swim in the ocean or look at a picture of a shark without crying or having bad dreams – I’m 14.
Emily says
Me too and I am 15.
Alan says
I’m 57. I’ve always had a fear of sharks, it’s that bad if I go to the swimming baths I think sharks will come out of the vents and attack me, it’s really bad. Wherever I go on holiday I sit on the beach for half an hour before plucking the courage up to actually get in the water. When I get in I swim close to the shore and when people pass me and swim out quite far I think if they can do it so can I so I swim out and see dark shadows under me, I get in a panic and it takes me about 5 seconds to swim back to shore. It’s horrible because I’m a strong swimmer and love swimming. People say there are no sharks in this area but the way I look at it is all the seas oceans are connected, if a shark wants to swim from America to Greece it can do it, there is nothing in its way. I really would love to get clear of this phobia, if someone granted me one wish it would be to clear myself of this thing. People wish for money, a nice car etc. but in my life mine would really be to get rid of this phobia, I need help.
Harry says
I’m 13 and I’m the exact same. It really makes me feel like a buzz kill when I don’t swim out deep with my friends.
Annabelle says
I will pray for you, I feel the same. It’s the worst feeling when you think your life is going to end.
Neve says
My fear definitely started when I first watched Jaws, aged 5 or 6. That opening scene… I was instantly gripped with the most horrendous reaction – vomitting, dizziness, sweats. I couldn’t understand it. I would constantly have vivid dreams about being attacked by a shark or loved ones being attacked by a shark. I still recall one particular dream vividly to this day. I was too young, and couldn’t understand how anyone could sit and watch this ‘horror’ movie. My response was only made worse by my mother’s unsympathetic response to my stress.
In the ’80s here in the UK, Jaws was on TV almost every weekend. Not a joke. At 7.15pm on what felt like every Saturday. If I knew it was coming on, I would be a complete wreck all week. Unable to sleep or eat and develop stomach aches. I’d stay in my room all day on the day of, and be in and out of sleep until the movie would start and bid my goodnight, waking at around 1 or 2am happy it was all over for now.
However, on the odd occasions I missed the ads during the week, my mother would plot with my siblings to keep quiet about the showing, and on the day of, they would call me into the living room for something (I began to avoid TV most Saturday nights) and I would walk in during an attack scene. They’d all laugh as I ran off screaming and heaving. As I got older, this no longer worked so they turned to turning the volume up louder during an attack scene so I could hear it all from my room. Lovely family.
To this day, I can’t watch a shark movie, no matter how rubbish or how ‘not even scary’ my teen tells me it is. I have the same physical and emotional reactions as I did back then. I am fascinated by sharks, however. But this is just me trying to understand the ‘monster’ that has haunted me all my life. I still refuse to go near the ocean, choosing to sit on the beach instead. I don’t like being surrounded by water so avoid pools, and the fear of my legs dangling beneath the surface sends chills up my spine. I never let my feet hang off my bed out of fear a shark could somehow grab me and pull me down. I don’t do ships or boats, and I’m a nervous wreck when I know we’re flying over water.
A friend once joked that my fear and dreams mean I may have been attacked by a shark in a former life. I laughed it off at the time but something about that statement makes me feel really uneasy.
GB says
This is exactly what happened to me only I saw Jaws when I was 18. My family thinks it’s humerous and ridiculous. I love the beach but will avoid going in the ocean or even a pool. If someone is in the pool with me I’m okay until sunset when a big dark shadow goes over the deep end, then I am extremely fearful. My thing is that sharks can come straight up under you to attack and you can’t see them coming. I do avoid all media that entertains shark information of any kind. I do believe that some things can be avoided so that’s why I won’t go in the ocean.
Hope says
This is so me. I can’t even see a picture of open water (the ocean) and photos of sharks send me into a panic. I get frequent panic attacks when seeing or talking about sharks.
Gerry says
I am exactly the same. Any pics or movies of open ocean or Great White Sharks make me freak out. I start having sweaty palms and breathing heavy and very uneasy. Shark Week is absolute hell for me.
Ashley Downey says
I am terrified of great white sharks. I refuse to get in the ocean. My younger sister thinks I should get in a shark cage to overcome my fear. I told her I would rather stay on dry land. I think I would pass out if did that. I am terrified of deep water and I am not a good swimmer. When we were younger, our family went to Universal Studios in Florida and she tried to convince me to ride the Jaws ride. I put my foot down and refused to go on it.
Ryan says
My greatest fear and one I probably will NEVER overcome, just seeing images of sharks gets my heart racing out of control!
I did watch Jaws as a kid but that’s not what got me scared of sharks. Generally over time I just kept seeing pictures and watched videos of sharks and the horrible things they do to humans even if it is by accident. What scares me is their face! Sharks have a scary face with cold dark eyes, they act unpredictable and they have the upper hand in a vast deep ocean. If you do get attacked you have almost no chance of defending yourself it’s like being trapped in a cage with a lion you literally can’t do anything but fight for your life and that terrifies me.
Yeah you can say statistics show fatal attacks never usually happen but they DO happen and there is always a chance you could get eaten alive. Funny how they say only 30 species are dangerous to humans like they are trying to make it sound insignificant but it really is a lot. The one shark that gets me the most is great whites they just have a scary image and I can’t stand it!
Love says
This is crazy, i cant even drink dark liquids without a straw because i think a mini shark is in the bottle or cup. I literally always have to drink with a straw and hold the cup by the lid. I even think ice cubes are sharks, if im drinking water and ice without a straw by any chance, i wont let the ice cube touch my lip. I can take showers but not a bubble bath because im scared a shark will magically appear, this is so sad.
Lauren says
Oh my god this is me!
I can have showers, definitely not a bath! Sometimes when I am in the shower I think a shark is behind me and the bottom of the shower will break and I will fall in to a pool of sharks. I won’t go to the downstairs toilets In work as they are underground and it reminds me of being in deep water.
It sounds so stupid and pathetic. Actually typing it just makes me realise how weird it sounds. I can’t see myself ever overcoming this :/
Felicity says
Same! I have been afraid of sharks my whole life. I’m not sure how it started either. My sister used to have a dolphin shower curtain and she used to scare me with it when I was just a kid, but I’m not scared of dolphins. Then I remember having a horrible nightmare when I was staying at the beach with my family when I was a kid. Maybe it stems from that? I’m not sure. But ever since I can remember I’ve always been terrified of them. Especially great whites! It’s really embarrassing because ever since I can remember, I also have a hard time taking showers. Now that I’m older I usually have to have my husband watch me shower so I know I’m safe. But before I was married I’d sometimes go days/weeks without a shower because I was petrified. And when I finally did shower I had to leave the bathroom door open and music playing to distract myself from thinking about it. But once it comes into my head, that a shark is either behind me or something, I freak out. It’s honestly horrible.
ellie says
Oh my god I can totally relate! When I’m in the shower I feel like a big shark is just going to jump through the floor and I have to convince myself that it’s ok, because it’s just plain floor. Also when I’m on the toilet I feel like a shark is just going to jump out at me. I really want to overcome my fear, but seeing that the way to overcome it is to swim with them is just unrealistic.
Kendall says
My godmother took me to see Jaws when I was seven, big mistake, she even took me next to the beach. After that I haven’t stepped into the water again, i wouldn’t let my five year old go to the water.
I was born and raised in Miami Florida, enough said to have sharks and now gators at the shoreline nope.
Lili says
I don’t really know when I developed my fear of sharks. I feel like I’ve always had it, I just didn’t realize it until a certain point in time. I can’t go in the deep end of pools for fear that something is below my legs. I can go to the beach but only so far in before I panic. A few days ago, my parents took us to the most shark-infested beach in Florida, New Smyrna beach. Needless to say, it was a disaster and I got really nervous about going in. Thankfully, I wasn’t eaten. When I was about 6 or 7, we went to Universal Orlando and rode the Jaws ride. I don’t remember panicking, but I remember hating it and never having a smile on my face. I saw the Jaws movie when I was 11 or 12 and that only worsened my fear. One day, I thought I’d be heroic and watch a bunch of trailers for shark movies. I got dizzy, nauseous, sweaty, and my heart starting beating like crazy. The thought of a great white with big teeth chasing behind me with its mouth wide open sends chills down my spine. Sometimes I even whimper out loud at the thought of it. Fortunately, I haven’t had a shark nightmare and hope to never have to experience it. I’d most likely faint on the spot should an event like that take place in real life. For me, showers and toilets are fine because I try to remind myself that a creature of that size could not fit in those places. I do have a mild fear that a shark will appear below me when I am standing up in the shower, though. Pools are much worse. I haven’t been in a pool in a while, and the last time I was I jumped right into the deep end and immediately regretted it. A chill ran down my spine and my legs retracted quickly. In a hurried panic, I ran to the side and pulled myself out of the pool. It is not so much the fear of being eaten than it is the fear of being chased by a big, ugly, scary teethed creature I have. Being eaten is pretty scary too, though.
Mike C. says
When I see shark related things on TV, I pull my feet up off the floor and on to the couch.
I can’t help but shake this feeling that I am destined to be eaten by a shark, could you think of a worse death? I am irrationally convinced that somehow, someway life will conspire some sequence of events to make this happen. Hence my resistance to boating trips, beach trips, etc. I refuse to give fate it’s chance to feed me to those beasts.
I feel better knowing I’m not alone, these comments from all of you are comforting.
Alyssa Kenkel says
I’m not sure if I would say i’m galeophobic, but I’m definitely afraid of sharks in an irrational way. Being at aquariums, I freaked out when I saw an open fish tank that had a medium sized shark in it. I wouldn’t go near that thing. Nuh uh, No way, no how.
Jessi says
I’ve been afraid of sharks and the ocean for a long time. I hate going to the beach, but if I do go to the beach, I always stay on land. I love to swim though, and I’m on a swim team. I will never want to go on cruise ships or small boats that go in the ocean because of this fear. Once, I was on vacation with part of my dad’s side of the family, and we were supposed to take a small boat that holds your cars and stuff on it to a small village thing. I didn’t want to go, but we were heading there anyway. My little sister was 3 at the time, and she happened to get carsick easily. I was glad, because she threw up, and we didn’t go.
Also, I had a nightmare once about the ocean, me and my dad were taking a trip to some concert or show or something, and it was near the beach. As soon as we parked, there was water rising up with yellow bubbles in it and we all drowned. I don’t even know why I had that dream, but I did.
Rach says
I’m only very young so I haven’t had many holidays where I needed to go in the water but I had a panic attack in the ocean because I thought I saw a shark and ever since then I’ve not been able to sleep properly and I can’t go into a pool without freaking out and swimming back to the ladder. Only a few days ago I had a nightmare about a shark and that’s when I realized I needed help but I was to scared to look anything up in case there were pictures. I dropped my phone when I saw the pic at the top of the page and I wouldn’t go near it until I was scrolled passed it so I had to get my little sister to scroll down for me. I really hope it doesn’t control my life. I used to love the water and I still do, I’m a passionate swimmer but for the past year I’ve just been terrified and it’s given me really bad anxiety. I’m only in 8th grade and in class we had to watch the nemo trailer for English and write all the themes and I forgot about Bruce so when he came into the screen I gasped and tucked my legs onto the chair as if something was under me and started crying, the teacher had to send me out of the classroom with one of my friends it was so traumatic. I’m just not the same and I don’t go out to pools and beaches with my friends or family anymore and I’m always scared there’s a shark behind me even when I’m out of water my mind makes me picture it coming towards me I hate it. I want it to stop and I’ve tried to overcome it by myself but it’s just not working. If anything it’s gotten worse and the worst part is I know how irrational it is. It drives me insane.
Steffen N. H. says
I feel your pain Rach. I myself have a strong fear of sharks… Ever since I was around eight years old (ten years ago) I’ve had dreams about sharks eating me alive… I cannot swim in murky water and I tuck my feet up onto the chair just like you when I see them on the screen.
Then again I can’t imagine how it is for you, since Im not even sure if I could categorize this fear as a phobia or not… After all, Im morbidly curious of sharks, but I still fear them like the plague. Maybe there is something wrong with my head, but I have always had a fascination with these big fishes.
Would love to hear your response (if you have any)…
Kind regards Steffen N. H. (Norway)
April Fee says
I also got my fear from Jaws. I didn’t see it but the commercial for it. To try and get me over my fear my parents gave my the Jaws game. It was a toy so I actually wasn’t afraid of it. The art on the box was though, so I’d be in the semi dark at night thinking about that shark in my closet! Sometimes in the bathtub I’d get scared. I’m only afraid of great whites. I watch shark movies so to get over my fear. I get panic attacks and once in high school, my teacher put on a documentary of the great white and I had to put on my best poker face so I wouldn’t get made fun of. However, the doc had a section about megalodon and that was the first time I ever heard of it. Needless to say, I said Holy S***! Got right back to the poker face fast! The next day I confronted him and told him what he put me through. He was sorry about it. He wanted to get the tiger doc but it was gone. I found out which teacher took it and told her what had happened to me and how much hell that I went through and she was so sorry. The Syfy channel had this movie called “Ghost Shark ” and it actually covers all the fears, the tub, the sink, the slip n slide, even a glass of water! LOL That movie was actually fun to watch! I’ll close by saying that there is a new movie coming out about great whites and these girls going cage diving and the cage sinking to the bottom and they have to swim up to get to the boat but can they make it out alive?! The commercial really scared me!
Sharks says
I can’t even look at a picture of a shark without throwing my phone and screaming. When I go off diving boards my head create an image of a shark so I have panic attacks right before I hit the water.
noah says
I am scared of megalodon
Carlos says
Ive had a fear of sharks for a long time. I always think a shark is in the drain or the toilet and if i go swimming in the deep end i immediately start to swim towards the ladder. I hate going to the beach for this reason and when i was forced to scuba dive by my family, i had a panic attack. ive missed out a lot on going out with my family because of this. im pretty sure i have a fear of the ocean now. At the beach i dont go farther than a few feet.
Meghan says
I am utterly terrified of sharks. I’m not sure when the fear became so prevalent but it can be crippling at times. At the beach I can put my feet in the water but not go out any deeper than my ankles. Showers and baths are ok, but if i go swimming , especially at night and in the deep end of the pool, I have a full on panic attack and have to get out of the water or more often then not dragged to she shallow end. I’m only 27 so I wasn’t a JAWS baby and I used to watch shark week and shark related movies. I always got that nervous feeling when I did but i really can’t pinpoint what happened to make me so afraid. I have been galeophobic for as long as I can remember. My parents tried to “cure” me of it one year by making me ride the JAWS ride at Universal Orlando….needless to say that went about as well as a train wreck lol.
Abdalla eissa says
I have the same problem and I don’t know how to fix it, the biggest fear is the great white shark.
Abdalla eissa says
When I had it I was 7 years old and every body was teasing me with shark photos and watching the teeth freaked me so I forced my self to watch documentaries which that makes it worse. Now I am 21 and ashamed that the fear is still in me.
m2t7v says
There’s a shark called megalodon!
Caitlin says
I have had a fear of sharks since I was younger and visited an aquarium. The minute I saw the sharks in their tank I began to panic and since I am unable to even look at pictures or hear the word without feeling in some way anxious. I will go swimming in pools, yet the thought that a shark will miraculously appear is in the back of my mind and whilst on holiday I will go in shallow parts of the sea, but not for very long as I grow extremely nervous and even urge my family out. Everything about them freaks me out and I always feel like they’re lurking.
Sage says
The same thing happened to me! When I was young my dad took me to the aquarium for the first time and put me up on the ledge right in front of the glass. A huge shark swam by and I proceed to freak out and cry so hysterically we had to leave. I was fine with the other sea life, really liked the jellyfish, but when I saw that shark something snapped. This fear was made worse by the fact the Jaws was filmed on the island where I grew up, and though I could never watch the movie it would constantly be on tv or celebrated, so I would always fear any underwater scenes and still can’t look at sharks on tv or in pictures. I have never been to an omni theater or imax or anything like that because I have an extreme fear of seeing a shark close up again. I can visit aquariums, but I get really nervous and can only feel comfortable if I go with other people, same thing for pictures of sharks, for some reason I can’t look at them and want to cry if I see them when I’m alone, but around other people I guess I feel more safe or confident. I thought that seeing the shark again in the aquarium (with my friends) would cure me, but even though that encounter went well I still can’t look at pictures of sharks without a deep feeling of fear and having to look away and cover my eyes immediately, even the picture in this article (why would they put that here?) I had to cover with my hand until I could scroll down. I can swim in freshwater because I’m able to think rationally, but going out too deep by myself I do get uncomfortable about what could be below me. In the ocean I feel the same way, except I am even more cautious and can’t swim alone at all because I am too scared of sharks for it to be enjoyable. I am now 21 and really feel like I need to be more brave and not have such an obvious and embarrassing weakness, but I can’t stop fearing sharks.
Gemstone says
My fear of sharks is not severe. I think I got this fear after watching a documentary showing great whites swimming up from the darkness to attack seals from beneath. Then watching jaws didn’t help. I once had a dream that a shark was swimming up towards me while I’m swimming at the beach really far out. They creep me out. Especially great whites and basking sharks. How can I overcome my fear and feel safe while swimming?
ally says
I know how you all feel. I’m ok in the shower, but in deep ends in pools, a feeling of something below me starts to overwhelm me and I scramble to get out. I tell my friends it’s a cramp. I don’t think there’s any chance of the ocean for me, even though I find it amazingly beautiful. I wouldn’t be able to relax. I’m also doubtful of rivers, since the bull shark findings. After reading these I don’t feel so alone. Thank you all
Steffen N. H. says
Yeah, the bull sharks… Since reading about shark attacks in a dedicated children’s book (of all things) I couldn’t be asked to swim in murky rivers any longer… I was in fifth grade when I read that book… It was describing horrifying events, such as an ocean diver in the 60s losing his right leg and managed to survive even though he was 60 meters down in the deep.
Becky says
I’ve had this phobia from sharks since I was little and can’t get over it. I can’t go to lakes, pools, I’m also scared in a bath (and that’s ridiculous) and swimming in a sea is a big challenge for me. The worst thing about it is that when I’m in the water and somebody says only the word “shark” I get immediately out… I hate it. I hate it because everytime I swim I feel so anxious and nervous, because I have the feeling something is under me. I really wish someone could help me.
John La Porte says
I have more than 100 dives, 20-plus with sharks and never any problems. I just show respect and keep a close eye on them.
Rachel says
I am galeophobic and have been since I saw Jaws 3D at the age of 13, I am now 46.
I can’t get in a swimming pool without checking around it several times and I can’t go swimming in the sea, I have tried but I turn into an obilisk and freak others out! HOWEVER, in the 29th February 2016 (this year) I shall be getting into a tank of sharks so I can propose to my partner of 23years! Stupid? YES! But figured if I can face my fear of sharks, he can face his fear of marrying me (again)!!
Melina says
How was it did you do it?
Corey says
I’m so scared of sharks I can’t even shower. When my mom and dad tells me to shower the first thing that comes to my mind when the water starts is sharks and their pointy teeth. And when it’s cold I get a vision of a shark and like runaway from my shower. I can’t close my eyes in the shower because I don’t know if a huge hungry beast will be there when I open my eyes. And I always look behind me and above me in the shower, do you have any advice for me?
Lizzie says
Dude!!! We are so alike!! When I wash my face I have to wash one side at a time or else I’m afraid if I close my eyes and open them again I’ll see a huge shark or that I’m in the ocean near sharks washing my face being vulnerable and such!!
christine says
my fear it started when i was at the aquarium and i saw the sharks swimming over me. i am still freaked out about them. i was 5 then
Tina says
No, I get that way too. Sometimes I can’t even go to the bathroom without being scared. I think it’s the connection to water.
Jacob says
I feel you so much dude! I get so afraid of taking showers that to the point that I wouldn’t so I wouldn’t go to school the next day because I haven’t showered in those past days. (Don’t worry I’m clean, totally would isolate myself from people if I wasn’t) I feel like it has a connection to Aquaphobia because it’s a symptom of it (Not hydrophobia)
Jane says
I have this phobia but only experience the symptoms when I’m in the ocean or mild paranoid symptoms when I’m in a swimming pool, otherwise I’m fine. I can watch shark movies and shark documentaries without the slightest fear, I also research facts about sharks and understand that it is extremely irrational for me to think they will kill me, let alone be in the shallow depth I stand, yet I still have a panic attack without a doubt!
It’s very frustrating as I live on the coast and love the beach but I can’t shake this phobia.
Tiffany says
Jaws is one of my all time favorite movies and always will be. I love sharks, love seeing them at the aquarium, and watching documentaries about them. I do think they have these horrifying eyes though. I just recently read about 2 attacks happening at the same beach and on the same day. This beach is about an hour or so away from me. A friend posted pics of a shark swimming around about 30 yards from the beach which is about 30 minutes from me. This is also the beach we go to when we do go to the beach. These incidents just happened within the last week. In April of this year, 2 great white sharks were located down the coast of VA, NC, all the way down to Fl. After finding about this it has only amplified my fear of encountering sharks. My fear is not as severe as the ones here. Mine stems from shark attacks that have occurred locally. In 2013, the beach that is 30 minutes away had a shark swimming in 12 inches of water. Bull sharks have been caught in the local river here. If you know anything about bull sharks, they can live in both salt and fresh water. Bull sharks are quite aggressive and will attack anything. I don’t like going to the beach, but this is one major reason why now. I have a young child and my biggest fear even if he is near me is he will be bitten by a shark. In Jaws there is a boy that was killed while on a floatie, so you can see where that thought comes from. Anyway, I admire sharks, but I am scared to death of encountering one face to face. They are fine as long as they are behind glass or on the tv.
Hunter says
I have no idea why I’m terrified of sharks, but I can barely shower without going into some sort of panic attack due to thinking of sharks. I can’t watch movies with oceans, or underwater scenes. I can’t even go swimming at the pool. I know how rare shark attacks are, and I know most shark attacks are accidents, but my fear is so bad that I tried looking up the proper term for the phobia of sharks and I ended up crying, curled up in a ball under my blankets for (literally) one hour because it just gave me photos of sharks splashing up out of the water with their mouths open and flashing all their teeth. I felt like a giant shark was going to jump up out of the darkness beside my bed and grab a hold of me, dragging me to the bottom of the ocean where all the other sharks would feast on me.
My fear is highly irrational, but so bad I can barely shower.
star says
Hunter I have the same symptoms as you.
Isha tastic says
Well I have the same thing I can’t close my eye without thinking there is a shark in front of me but know I am getting cured all you should do is start of with baby steps just look at pictures of sharks then slowly go to videos then go to an aquarium and that fear of sharks will be gone!
Anna says
I cannot believe what I am reading here. I knew I won’t be the only one to be having this phobia but reading about shower is just unbelievable. I haven’t seen jaws. I was very little when I had an animal book and though they had one animal per page, in the middle of the book they had a whale spanning through the width of the page. I was taken aback a little but not that scared. Then I used to be afraid of blue bucket and red mug. It meant some big blue creature and blood to me so I used to just scream out of the bath at that. And then came the final fear, completely realized, it was a shark. I was afraid of shark fin cutting my bathroom floor and can’t close my eyes with anything water. If I do I see not just the shark but it’s teethy jaw open right on front of me. Flashes within a microsecond. So that means that my shower has to be hot and I can’t afford to have both my eyes closed so I wash one side of my face first and then the left over. I have burnt my eyes trying to look around, not that I don’t check it every minute anyhow. Well lit bathroom and my eyes open helps. I am scared of the whirlpool of slightly dark water in washing machine! I can’t put my hand in that water. I cover my eyes if I see anything related to sharks. Like the sadist picture with this article. Went snorkelling and freaked out at seeing my partner’s navy blue shorts flutter under water. And I want to scuba dive… I am 30 and still living with the fear. I really need a cure. I really think if I do go scuba diving and if a shark is nearby, it will know. Like how animals know… I would love to drown before it bites me or even charges towards me…
Doe says
Anna, something that may help you is a video I once came across. it brought tears to my eyes. I do not have a fear of Sharks for the most part, I love movies like Jaws and Deep blue sea, however i do feel mild anxiety when i go to the beach. I have studied sharks because when i was little they both scared and fascinated me. It helped me reach a comfortable medium when it comes to my anxiety. I know the depths sharks can swim in, hunting habits, and so on. I am sorry you have such a strong fear but really if you study them and go to the beach you can take baby steps. you don’t have to swim but if you were to say sit at the edge of the water and let the water wash over your feet it could help. when you decide to face your fear there are places where you can dive with small sharks and you can even touch them sometimes. when i went to the beach for the first time I faced my fear of the ocean. my husband carried me out until the water was at his chin, and he’s very tall. I was afraid we would be attacked by a shark since we were so close to a pier where people fished for sharks. I believe if you know someone you feel absolutely safe with that going diving or just to the beach with them would be a great step to reducing or even overcoming your fear. maybe you can start watching inspirational videos with good experiences people have with sharks. I’ve watched the so called monsters save diver’s lives, and beg to be saved themselves, I’ve watched them protect humans from other sea life. they are just like any other animal, as vastly misunderstood as any predator. I hope you can overcome this fear soon.
jasmine says
I have been terrified of sharks since I was five! Yes I watched jaws and laughed that this article talks about it. I know the reason why I am scared of them. It’s because I had a dream when I was very young. This dream was vivid. I was swimming in open water. I felt this horrible stabbing pain in my leg and felt something jerk my whole body downwards. I was plummeting fast below the water’s surface. I quit breathing in my sleep and woke up gasping for air. Now even when I swim in a pool I always get an irrational fear that there is a shark behind me.
Tina says
That’s a horrible dream!
Gemstone says
I know how you feel! Sharks gave me the worst nightmares when I was little, and they still do!
Yasmin says
I hate sharks, like so much. I get so annoyed when someone talks about them and whenever I see a picture of a shark I get really nervous. I even start scratching myself, my skin turns red after that. My heart rate is so fast, I get terrified when I’m in the shower and I imagine some sharks coming through the bathtub or in the swimming pool. It’s just so annoying. I can’t close my eyes in the water. The minute I close them I start getting images of a shark attacking me. It’s so annoying, I want to get rid of this stupid phobia. I tried to look at some shark pics but I couldn’t. So annoying I hate it.
Hunter says
I feel the exact same way, I mean, it’s terrifying just to wash my face in the shower. If I do I end up having a full scale panic attack, falling down and knocking every thing else down as I fall. I really want to get rid of this fear too, but even seeing an innocent picture of a shark just swimming is so overwhelming.
SRSLY! says
I hate sharks. For some stupid, persistent, annoying reason, I think a shark is going to swin through a hatch IN THE SIDE OF THE POOL. Dunno why, I hate swimming now, and sometimes I think that miniature sharks will come in my bath tub and eat me alive or something.
Deiseree Garcia says
Just like the 1st testimonial, my fear of sharks also started when I was little and saw a clip from a movie (not sure of the title but I guess it’s also Jaws) and since then, I got this terrible feeling whenever I saw a picture especially a film that sharks are existing. Their mouths are what makes me afraid the most. I automatically get anxious whenever I heard someone says “shark” That’s kinda weird because even when I am in the bathroom and I imagine a huge shark (even cartoon), I get very nervous and dont want to close my eyes each time I take a bath. My fear of sharks started when I was about 6 or 7 years old. Then my fear continued to explore. Now, I also fear images of dinosaurs and crocodiles. I know how to swim but whenever these creatures cross my mind, I panic and almost drown. Dont know what to do.. I’m now 16 and this selachophobia seems to always get me in trouble and is a barrier for me to enjoy life.. I don’t want this phobia to stay with me forever. – DG
esiebert says
Don’t feel too bad. I’m 44, grew up in Southern California at the beach, swimming, surfing, wading in the waves fishing, my family had a pool in the backyard that we were always in, I love tubing and raftng in rivers, ocean kayaking in Alaska is a highlight of my life… BUT I am terrified of the idea of sharks getting me in dark swimming pools, freshwater lakes, streams, creeks at night, I’ll give a second look to a jacuzzi even, etc, etc. If I’m not sitting on or with an object on the top of a body of water, inside a boat, or am in a swimming pool at night and even a little bit during the day, etc, etc. —it’s in the dark and endless water that I see the image of their eyes and teeth.
However, I just came across, of all things, an animated gif of two great white sharks circling above an abstract beach scene and believe I may have just taken the first step towards getting over my own galeophobia as a result. Crazy. I could explain but just google this or something, if you’re interested, because I almost triggered from it when it first showed up on my screen… but now I’m feeling much more relaxed and thinking about how it actually relieves some psychological and emotional stress to consider sharks and people in this new way.
Previously, my first step for addressing this, very limiting and irrational phobia, was always going to be learning to scuba dive and forcing the matter through conditioning and, eventually, a night dive which would either end in a panic attack and ridiculous underwater death, or being completely healed and empowered. I’ve also researched therapy practices in Australia where this phobia is said to be extremely common because of the frequency of attacks.
The great news, is that we can get over all of this stuff that’s in our head because that’s all it is. I made finally addressing and defeating this phobia a goal for 2016 and hope you are able to gain some peace in the matter soon, as well. I don’t think the movie is what messed me up because I still like watching Shark Week and old Cousteau… I think sharks are magnificent and noble. It was definitely *reading* JAWS and a few other books, way too young (involving ship wrecks, lost scuba divers, lost at sea, the Aames Home Loan raft/shark commerical, along with a children’s storybook I had which had illustrations showing dark packs of swarming hammerheads swimming as silhouettes in deep green water, perpetually menacing the psyche and physical well being of the human protagonists. But .gif! The healing is going to start today.
Jacob says
I’m the exact same, the phobia grew onto me so much to the point where I would be afraid of crocodiles and dinosaurs existing in water! I get so scared in the shower and all of that and I am so pleased and glad that I’m not the only one. I wish all of us on the forum can meet in real life and physically help each other with the phobia because it prevents us from doing some fun things like swimming and going to the aquarium with friends and all of that.
Doe says
Jacob that is a great idea! it may be impossible for everyone to meet in person but maybe everyone could join on a video chat and support one another. I want everyone on this site to be able to overcome this fear and group “therapy” is so powerful. I believe it would be beneficial to everyone. I am afraid of some apex predators so I studied them and that helps me, however for others it may increase their fears. You may have come up with an idea that would help everyone on this page!
Fahad says
That huge shark you’re thinking about in a cartoon is called Bruce and he’s from Finding Nemo, though I’m pretty sure he’s not in Finding Dory. He’s voiced by Barry Humphries.
Paul says
I have this phobia, and I know why. When I was six years old I saw ‘Jaws’ and I can remember it like it was yesterday. I was standing in the video store in my town with my dad and brother and I saw the artwork for the VHS tape and instantly wanted it. I didn’t have any kind of phobia of water or sharks before, but after viewing the film I didn’t go to the beach for two years afterwards! I have also stayed away from the deep end of swimming pools ever since. Recently my local swimming pool was being demolished, and after they closed it for the last day I decided to go and take one last look through the window that night. I looked and saw the water with the moon streaming through as it rippled on the surface of the deep end. The moment I saw that I had to turn away as it was too intense. That’s how bad things are, I can’t even look at water, especially in the dark. I suffered nightmares for years about drowning or being eaten alive by a great white shark. I am in my 30’s and it’s still here and shows no signs of ever leaving my psyche. As a result I also swim poorly as well.
Tina says
I truly wonder how many children from the 70’s have been affected by the movie Jaws. I know it screwed me up. Actually, it wasn’t the movie, but it was the picture on the cover of the book. My mom had it on our end table and I remember seeing the picture and it scaring me. Thanks Mom!!!
Lude says
Before blaming your mother for your phobia – seek a professional to help you out – with both of your above mentioned problems.. blaming mommy and galeophobia.
I fear sharks in the ocean – a lot – but I just don’t go around blaming a stupid movie or my family for a problem which is mostly inside my head.
David says
I grew up 50 yards from the water in Auckland, we swam as kids almost daily. On my dads boat I would dive off the side hundreds of yards from shore. I was unafraid, even when I saw sharks in the waters I was in, I was cautious but unafraid. Then at 8 years old I saw Jaws when it came out at the movies. It changed everything. I remember having a very vivid and terrifying dream I’m 49 now and I still clearly remember it, I was standing powerless on the beach while all my loved ones were in the water facing me while sharks bit their necks.
I still cannot swim in the ocean without fear, I’m so sorry for those who have shared the irrational terror attached to this condition. I always hoped the fear would leave me but it never has despite me facing it down many times.
Perhaps hypnotherapy is worth a go…
David
Ebony costa says
I hate sharks, I am pretty sure that I have selachophobia. I get scared of sharks in my bath pool room shower which is ridiculous. I even skipped out on my families holiday to kurrawong because the cabins border a beach and to get there you have to take a boat and there is a wharf. Is there anyone like me and what do I do to overcome this fear?
Josepsh says
Sharks like water, not bath water?