The Fear of Sharks

!±8± The Fear of Sharks

Learning about the fear of sharks is important to find inner peace, taking control of your life being rid of inhibitions.

Shark fear is commonly known as galeophobia, when a person has a fear of sharks they will typically shy away from water activities, as I did, where there was any potential risk of encountering sharks. This is a very real debilitating fear that is often passed on to other family members and friends especially children. Other factors that people who fear sharks will typically avoid, include watching any movies or view images of sharks, as to them this in itself can be overwhelming. So why do people fear sharks?

Why people Fear Sharks

It is easy to accept that many men, women and children especially, fear sharks and shark attacks. Just the appearance of a shark can be very frightening to many people worldwide as we look at their body shape, having their mouths partially open, exposing rows of sharp teeth like steak knives. This mental image reinforces the fact that they are silent, finely tuned predators, which have evolved predating the Jurassic era, cruising the oceans depths in search of prey. Sharks can attack with tremendous force inflicting horrific wounds to victims that may have been mistaken for their normal prey or food source.

The main reason why people suffer from shark phobia known as (galeophobia) is seeing how they attack victims or prey, with death cold looking eyes that lack any emotion as they tear flesh from the bone. Media hype is the next biggest factor that generates fear in people about sharks, with prime examples of this being how the media plays on words of those that have fallen victim to a shark attack, or jump the gun in a story including the word shark as they know this plays on people's emotions. Throughout the years we have been accustomed and trained to think that sharks are the enemy that are out to kill humans, whereas this is far from the truth.

Signs and Symptoms, Shark Fear

Speaking from a personal viewpoint after being attacked by a shark, panic is an involuntary response that can be bought on by the sight of sharks or even talk about sharks from other people as this brings back images that are too ghastly to face. After my attack I found it very hard to deal with or hear people talking about sharks in the initial transitional period, as I learned more about sharks and how to cope with the fear I had. Even going to the beach standing in water up to my knees was terrifying as every movement, or sight that I saw, my mind was telling me that they were sharks and I had to get out of the water.

Some of the most common signs that people will give off include reluctance to talk about the "shark topic", have an increased heart rate as well as getting very nervous or anxious. Dizziness and metal anguish is all part of the phobia that can lead to stuttering, sleepless nights, shakes, cold sweats and nightmares as you relive the experience you have had or an experience that you may have seen over and over again. I tried not to show my fear to others even though I suffered from all of the above as I strived to deal with the fear I was holding onto, but with good close family and friends along with professional help talking to other shark researchers I made it through to the other side.

Shark Movies and Media Hype

Movies such as the Jaws series have reflected the shark in a very bad light portraying them as savage predators' intent on killing humans, worsening the plight of the sharks as well as creating a social acceptance that a dead shark is a good shark. The Jaws series created a real fear strengthening shark phobia in all that suffer from it, as well as having others follow suit. See the opening stages of the film with promotional material depicting a young woman having a peaceful swim, while the monster shark attacks from below dragging her to a gruesome death. This movie triggered an unrealistic amount of fear in many people that knew nothing about sharks, enforcing a fear with the attitude that it must be real.

Media hype is the worst it has been in many years as each year we hear the same things, seeing the same headlines like. "Sharks spotted off coastal beach." "Swimmer disappears possible shark attack" "Shark attacks boat" Or in my case where they over exaggerate by saying Kayak fisherman attacked by 7 to 8 metre shark. Media companies know that they can get great exposure for stories by making something sound bigger than it really is as well as playing on the emotions of people. Take the incident a year ago when a suspected Tiger shark attacked a boat, the media fails to tell you that they were hitting the shark on the head to move it away from the beach! I don't know about you? But if someone or something was hitting me on the head I would definitely retaliate.

Don't get me wrong here as shark attacks are very scary, especially when we read about surfers, divers, swimmers or others being attacked by sharks and dying due to blood loss, but we have to put this into perspective. More people die each year going to the beach in car accidents but we do not ban cars as they are deadly. In fact we have all swum in the sea with sharks in the very near proximity without even knowing they are there. This is because we do not generally give off the right scent or appearance of a shark's prey; however sharks do attack with the most likely cause being mis-identification of the possible food source.

Prime examples of this can be seen in locations such as Florida, South Africa and Australia where surfers especially, have been attacked. These areas that have higher shark populations should expect there to be more shark and human interaction as more people are spending time in or on the sea. It is my firm belief that most of these attacks are caused by the shark misidentifying the surfer for an example, for a seal. Contained within this page shark attacks on dive planet NZ it shows how a shark perceives a surfer, or swimmer in relation to a seal it's most common food source, especially the Great White (Carcharodon carcharias).

Why Protect Sharks

Sharks have been around Pre Jurassic era and they play a vital role in our oceans. Sharks have evolved throughout the centuries as scientists believe they are very similar but more than likely smaller than those millions of years ago. The sharks play a very important role keeping an equal balance in the marine eco system, cleaning up dead and dying species that they encounter, as well as maintaining the fine balance of life in our oceans. If you start to take away the top predators then other dire consequences will occur, with an over abundance of certain species that will intern have an impact on sub species. This can, and most likely will, lead to a total collapse of life on life above and below, in the food chain order. Just as we humans rely on the sea as a food source that provides us with important vitamins and minerals.

At the present rate we are slaughtering sharks for shark fin soup and other remedies at an alarming rate, being in excess of over 100 million sharks every year. At this present rate and pressure on the shark populations' many believe 90% of all species will be wiped out by 2030. If this happens we will surely see more industry collapses on a global front including, but not limited to, a direct effect of other life on planet earth.

Over seventy five percent of the world's oxygen is derived from our oceans!! So ask yourself;"Can we really keep up this pressure?" If our seas die and become a jelly filled sludge pond all life on earth may turn into that of Easter Island. So get proactive, take action, confront and find an understanding to join myself educating others about the importance of sharks. Not just for yourselves but for the benefit of your children and their grandchildren.

Proactive Documentaries about Sharks

Divers globally are taking the initiative in hand as we try to show the world the life that we have below the surface. Taking on the role advising others about the desperate plight the sharks are facing as we try to make a difference. Of all of these I admire Rob Stewart maker of Sharkwater! If you have not seen this movie/documentary, I highly suggest you watch it. Sharkwater looks into the makeup of our oceans and how all life depends on the upper and lower order.

Shark diving operations are playing another key role as they showcase the sharks close up as well as giving researchers a closer insight into the world of the sharks. There is so much to learn from this one particular species of fish that can be and are directly related, to improving the health and well being of humans.

Unanswered Questions

If you have questions about sharks in general, especially the Great White shark I invite you to look up the relevant information on websites that focus on the key points.