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2016-08-17 4:42 PM


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Subject: Advice for Anxiety with marine life
Hello fellow Tri Friends. I am seeking some advice about my anxieties.

I am trying to do lots of open water swimming these days but something is holding me back. Something I can't seem to get my brain to cooperate. I am scared of the marine life.

I usually train in Long Beach or Newport Beach. I am hearing horror stories of stingrays and sharks and juvenile sharks and seals and even dolphins that will pin you down to play. Now every time I go open water swimming, I can't seem to shake that feeling. I can't relax my breathing.

If anything touches me I will basically freak out. I am scared of a stinger or a bite or just being assaulted by a dolphin. This is really holding me back because I was doing so well in the pool.

Does anyone have any advice for me about this? Thank you my tri friends.


2016-08-17 5:41 PM
in reply to: Carolfrontier

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Subject: RE: Advice for Anxiety with marine life
Originally posted by Carolfrontier

Hello fellow Tri Friends. I am seeking some advice about my anxieties.

I am trying to do lots of open water swimming these days but something is holding me back. Something I can't seem to get my brain to cooperate. I am scared of the marine life.

I usually train in Long Beach or Newport Beach. I am hearing horror stories of stingrays and sharks and juvenile sharks and seals and even dolphins that will pin you down to play. Now every time I go open water swimming, I can't seem to shake that feeling. I can't relax my breathing.

If anything touches me I will basically freak out. I am scared of a stinger or a bite or just being assaulted by a dolphin. This is really holding me back because I was doing so well in the pool.

Does anyone have any advice for me about this? Thank you my tri friends.


I think you can do a few things:

1. swim with friends or have a buddy kayak
2. use one of those self inflating swim-it thingies, in case you freak out
3. swim along the shoreline
4. knife?

other than that, not sure what else you can do!
good luck!
2016-08-17 5:58 PM
in reply to: #5195621

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Subject: RE: Advice for Anxiety with marine life
Try and find a reputable source to verify if those are legit risks or just your "friends" getting you worked up? I'm on the east coast, so what do I know, but knowing if those are just tall tales might help.
2016-08-17 6:24 PM
in reply to: Carolfrontier

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Subject: RE: Advice for Anxiety with marine life

Shuffle your feet when you enter the water. That will scare off rays. Swim close to shore, always tell someone when and where you're going, and remember that shark attacks are incredibly rare

2016-08-18 9:46 AM
in reply to: Carolfrontier


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Subject: RE: Advice for Anxiety with marine life
I hear you on this.

I get in anything Olympic sized pool or larger.....freshwater, lake....river....pool...whatever......if someone starts humming that Jaws theme....my head is on a swivel and my heartrate goes up.

I know it's irrational.

And I'm often a believer in data. Shark attacks are incredibly rare.
Whenever I've gone to an ocean....I have been able to find local info on statistical things you can do to avoid 'sharks'.
Stuff like certain times of day.....following rain....or what have you.
2016-08-18 10:14 AM
in reply to: jhaack39

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Subject: RE: Advice for Anxiety with marine life
I'm terrified of the ocean. I know it's completely irrational but I can't get over it. (Don't EVER see the movie Open Water...geez!)
That said, I did have an experience in Maui that was pretty cool. My brother in law and I were in a cove snorkeling, just looking at all the pretty fish. When out of nowhere I saw a HUGE shadow on the bottom. I about pooped myself. Then...I...saw...IT! I'm pretty sure I did poop myself a little at that point. I was completely frozen with fear. Couldn't have swum away if I wanted to. Next thing I know it's coming right at me from below. ^%$#^&%^ What is it? Can't really tell but it's really, really big. Then it became clear and I learned it was a sea turtle. And it wanted to say HI. It came up to me, flipped over and presented it's underbelly just like a submissive dog might. I was still a little scared because where I come from, turtles will easily take off a finger/toe/arm, etc. But for 2 or 3 glorious minutes, I had a pretty magical moment with this creature in its habitat.
The rest of the week I didn't find it necessary to go above my waist in the water. I figured the next time I might not be so lucky as to get a friendly encounter like this again.


2016-08-18 10:29 AM
in reply to: Fourteenkittens

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Subject: RE: Advice for Anxiety with marine life
I heard that more people are killed every year by elephants than sharks.

So, when I did my ocean swim this year, I figured I'd hear an elephant splashing through the water in time to swim clear of him.

No anxiety, after that.
2016-08-18 11:16 AM
in reply to: Carolfrontier

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Subject: RE: Advice for Anxiety with marine life
On dry land, I just think about the statistics. More people are killed by cows every year than by sharks. And where I ride there are 100's and 100's of cows!! It's simply not going to happen to you. The reason shark attacks make national news is because they are so exceedingly rare......

  • ...but then I get in the ocean and I freak out. Same as you. I have found that if I have at least one person around me, I'm fine, so maybe try to find a group to swim with. If it is a race, I tend to be ok, because I'm thinking about the race and not the marine life. I tend to swim alone during most races after the first couple minutes, but between the kayaks, paddle boards, etc, I feel ok.

  • The fact of the matter is; it's not going to happen to you. Same as winning the lottery (sorry for the downer). So do what you need to to feel better.
    2016-08-18 1:42 PM
    in reply to: Fourteenkittens


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    Subject: RE: Advice for Anxiety with marine life
    Thank guys! You are all so wonderful with these tips.

    I am going to try this weekend and see if I can use some of these tips to feel better!
    2016-08-18 3:41 PM
    in reply to: trijamie

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    Subject: RE: Advice for Anxiety with marine life
    Originally posted by trijamie

    Shuffle your feet when you enter the water. That will scare off rays.




    That's a neat tidbit to file away for someday. In our area of Lake Michigan we're much more likely to encounter broken beer bottles than wild life. I did hear of a member of our club getting nipped by a snapping turtle in one of the smaller lakes once though. Sounded like it was more startling than anything.

    Thanks for sharing,

    J White
    2016-08-18 4:22 PM
    in reply to: Carolfrontier

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    Subject: RE: Advice for Anxiety with marine life

    Do people really get assaulted by dolphins??
    I swam in the SF bay for a while and once had a big male sea lion get too close. I found out later he was nipping at some other swimmer's feet. He hadn't gone down south to mate with the rest of his crew, so he was a little.. anxious...



    2016-08-19 7:49 AM
    in reply to: Fourteenkittens


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    Subject: RE: Advice for Anxiety with marine life
    I totally get your anxiety, but not because I'm afraid of sharks. I've been stung by a jellyfish while swimming in the Gulf and did not particularly enjoy it. And the last time I swam in a lake, the fish nibbled on me (not painful, but startled me for sure). So I figure, statistically speaking, I should be safe in the water for the rest of my life.
    2016-08-19 8:00 AM
    in reply to: #5195632


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    Subject: RE: Advice for Anxiety with marine life
    I'm an East coaster, but my .02 since, not to toot my own horn, but I have a masters degree in marine biology...

    First off, with sharks, the statistics are comical as to what things are more likely to injure you...I think one year more people in the US were injured by vending machines than sharks. There's more examples, but the bottom line is that it's just remarkably rare. That being said, to reduce odds even more, avoid swimming at dawn or dusk, and dont wear any jewelry. Light reflecting off it can be said to look like the glimmer of fish scales.

    The other marine life you mention shouldn't be of any threat unless you actively try to harm them first. I respect the hell out of the ocean and what's in it, but it doesn't actively strike fear in me. Others have suggested good things to help calm your nerves (knife, friend in kayak, close to shore), and there's nothing wrong with taking precautions, but again, the risk is VERY VERY small. A lot less risky than activities you do mindlessly everyday, statistically speaking.
    2016-08-19 8:15 AM
    in reply to: #5195780


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    Subject: RE: Advice for Anxiety with marine life
    And as others hAve said, sure there may be incidental encounters with other forms (turtles, jellies, fish)...but remember that you're bigger than all those things and any animal's first concern is self-preservation, and they will flee after they've checked you out. Jellies are a slight exception (and my previous area of research), since they just float along, but there aren't many species if jellies that cause significant danger to humans. Theres the Same chance you could get stung by a bee on a bike ride, and same type of result. Slight ouch, but it's all okay. And most stings are even more mild.

    The point is...yes, there's life out there, people would be dumb to say the opposite. But it's not as dangerous as your brain is telling you.
    2016-08-19 3:50 PM
    in reply to: PBT_2009

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    Subject: RE: Advice for Anxiety with marine life

    I swim and do paddle support (on a SUP) with a local OWS group that swims in the ocean. Before swimming we look for signs of "a food chain". Are there a lot of sea birds diving into the water? If so, that's a sign of a large amount of bait fish. With bait fish can come bigger things eating them. On days like that, we either stay out of the water or make sure to stay away from the birds if they are far enough away. The only shark attack we've had at our swim location was due to a swimmer who was out in such a bait ball swimming with the seals that were feeding on the bait fish.

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