Photographic Proof That The Ocean Is Terrifying
Thalassophobia is real, and something that many sane people deal with. It's the fear of deep and vast bodies of water, like the ocean or sea. It isn't so much the fear of the water itself, but what is in the water.
I think it's pretty reasonable to be terrified of the ocean. Between shipwrecks and creatures that can only be described as monsters, it's a scary place.
For Starters, The Ocean Is Probably Haunted
The Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission estimates that there are over 3 million shipwrecks scattered all over the ocean floor, such as this wreck of the Kittiwake.
All I'm saying is that is a lot of ghosts.
The Ocean Has No Sense Of Boundaries
To be fair, we are often invading their territory, but the ocean does what it wants.
If that means that an octopus is going to sucker itself to your body for the foreseeable future, you just have to deal with it.
Time Isn't Real In The Ocean
This Greenland shark is 392 years old. That means that it was swimming around in the same waters of the Arctic Ocean since 1627.
This guy may look old and crusty, but he's still a shark.
There Are Huge Storms
And they're huge and dramatic storms, like this big guy coming onto the Golden Coast in Australia.
The storm was so intense, it was said to produce tennis ball-sized hail.
It Straight Up Isn't Safe
While there are parts of the ocean that are awesome (as seen from the shore) there are also parts of it that are dangerous and scary. Like this giant sinkhole in the middle of the ocean.
It has currents that could pull you in and never let you out.
The Weather Is Unpredictable
This was supposed to be a peaceful and enjoyable ferry ride in Sydney until the weather changed unpredictably and the passengers were left to try and weather this storm.
Imagine how seasick everyone was?
There Are Creatures That Could Swallow You Whole
This is a basking shark, and they don't eat humans, so they're pretty harmless. T
hey live off a diet of plankton. But, it is the second-largest shark with a huge mouth. Enough said.
Things Are So Weird Down There
This is a pod of sleeping sperm whales. They just chill horizontally, floating around in a super spooky fashion.
Do you think they have nightmares about being on land, just like we have nightmares about the sea?
There Are Entirely Different Worlds Down There
This is the Cenote Angelita on the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico.
It's an underwater river. It's created because there's saltwater and freshwater in the same place, and the saltwater is heavier, so it settles below the freshwater. Also, people think it's haunted so...
The Ocean Reclaims Everything
This is the USS Saratoga.
The new growth of ocean vegetation and creatures has turned it into something that looks like a giant fish who has no business being that large.
Everything Is Huge
I once asked a marine biologist why sea creatures get so big, and he said because they simply can be.
The real reason has something to do with regulating their body temperatures do deal with the cold.
Things That Die Down In The Ocean Stay There
That kind of sounds like a no brainer, but think of all the creatures that probably live and die in the water, and all the terrible tragedies that have occurred at sea since the beginning of time.
It's basically a giant graveyard.
Just Look At This
This person kayaking is probably praying this whale doesn't feel the need to surface anytime soon.
Whales are actually pretty gentle creatures, and very self-aware, but I would still be terrified.
It Can Be Lonely Out There
This is a photo taken during the Volvo Ocean Race as a boat comes to Point Nemo, which is the furthest place you can ever be from land. When this picture was taken, the closest people to them were actually astronauts.
The ISS passed overhead during the race, which is about 260 miles above the surface of the Earth, whereas the nearest inhabited piece of land was 1670 miles away.
It's The Home Of Giants
We've talked about it a little bit, but it bears repeating. Everything in the ocean is huge.
Look at this person's hand next to this gray whale, which isn't even that big of a whale!
Even Cute Sea Creatures Are Scary
Seals are cute, yes, but not when they're lurking on you from under the ice eyeing you up like you're a snack!
Look at the mischievous look in this leopard seal's eyes.
Beware The Jellyfish
Because their venom is virtually undetectable underwater, jellyfish are more deadly than sharks. It's estimated that jellyfish harm five times more people a year than sharks do.
And that's just the little ones, think of what this big guy is capable of!
People Disappear Into The Ocean Without A Trace
Thousands of people on ships and on airplanes have disappeared with absolutely no trace, never to be seen or heard from again.
Plus, there are is the Bermuda Triangle, and the Devil's Triangle, two notoriously dangerous regions of the sea.
Plant Life Has A Mind Of Its Own
There are parts of the ocean where seaweed and seagrass are so thick that it looks like straight up blackness when you look down.
You could easily get tangled up in that.
Or, It Isn't Seaweed At All
It could be garden eels that hang out in large groups poking out of the ground waiting for their prey.
They count on the current to bring it to them, which is so scary and also lazy.
We Have No Idea How To Explore The Ocean
Because we know so little about it, and because of the crushing pressure the further into the ocean you go, we currently have no idea how to explore more than we already have.
We'll still keep trying and finding strange things though...
Icebergs Are A Huge Threat
Icebergs sometimes float low on the surface, making them hard to see to people passing by in larger ships.
They also have been known to flip over causing tsunami-like waves and choppy water.
Sea Monsters Of Lore Or Real?
For a long time, the giant squid has been a staple in scary stories about the ocean, like in Moby Dick or 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea. It turns out, the Kraken is real.
They're very elusive and large, with the largest one on record being 43 feet long and weighing over a ton.
There Are Sudden And Drastic Changes In Temperature
The deeper down you go, or the deeper the ocean is where you swim over, you'll notice some pretty drastic changes in temperature.
Take this swimming hole, for example. People swimming over it have claimed that the further toward the middle of the hole they get, the colder the water becomes.
The Bottom Of The Ocean Is Not Flat
It is actually a really rugged terrain with mountains and valleys of its own.
Like this, the shore of Grand Turk Island, which features a 700 foot drop off into the ocean.
A Lot Of The Ocean Never Sees Sunlight
Sunlight stops about 3,000 feet down, which in some spots, is only a tenth of the way to the bottom (as far as we know!)
That means scary creatures like this black dragonfish have never seen the light of day.
Just Sharks In General
While shark attacks are pretty rare, especially fatal ones, it doesn't change the fact that a shark could if he wanted to.
This is Deep Blue, a 20' monster shark, thought to be the largest shark on record.
There Are Still Snakes
The ocean is full of different kinds of snakes that are venomous.
While snakes like this Cape Cobra don't live in the water, they do appreciate a good swim now and then.
We Know Literally Nothing About The Ocean
Or at least, very little. The National Ocean Service says that we've explored as little as five percent of the ocean.
This could be because the ocean depths would literally crush us.
So, It's Safe To Say The Ocean Is The Scariest Place On Earth
Which is why so many of us have a healthy enough respect for it to avoid it altogether.
It is beautiful, there is no denying that, but so much of it is also deadly so I'll enjoy it with both feet firmly planted on land.
