Let me tell you a little something about myself.
I suffer from ichthyophobia.
You guessed it… a fear of fish (if you really did guess that, wow!)
So, yes; I am afraid of fish. Big fish. Little fish (yes, minnows). Good fish. Bad fish.
All fish.
Feel free to laugh. Really. It’s pretty irrational. It’s real, though. It evokes a visceral reaction. To be honest, my heart races just thinking about them.
In 1990, my family took a trip to Australia (awesome!), specifically the east coast. While we were there, we visited the Great Barrier Reef. I was 13. Fear of fish firmly established. We got on a boat and went out to a pontoon in the middle of the ocean, which was really cool ’cause I loooove boats. Part of the deal was that we “got” to go snorkeling over the reef and see all the colourful fish. Wonderful. I was ecstatic (not in the least).
I can’t even swim in a lake if a see a minnow. I am not exaggerating. So, here I was poised to face my fear. At 13. My parents urged me, saying that if I didn’t snorkel at the reef, I might regret it. Fair enough. If you’re gonna face the fish, where better than the Great Barrier Reef? Right? Wrong.
In order to get in the water, we had to step in little cage-like things that were immersed in the water. Little cages. Perfect for catching fish. Awesome. I waited until there was not a single fish in the cage-thing as the guide-dude grew increasingly impatient. I am sure he was wondering what I planned on doing in the open water. So was I.
My dad swam with me the short distance to the reef. I put my face in and FREAKED out! Not going to happen. Not on his life. Not on mine. No way. Not wanting to ruin his opportunity (I was so giving, even then), I offered to wait on a raft where people sat to take breaks from swimming.
It was fine – I was out of the water and soaking in the sun in the middle of the vastness of ocean. Until. Until, three huge men (read: average-size teenagers) speaking a language I didn’t understand jumped on the raft, upturned it, and CATAPULTED me into the water. CATAPULTED. As expected, I freaked right out. They tried to help me. I didn’t understand them. They tried to put me back on the raft-thing, but it was upside-down and full of barnacles and slime. Everything intensified and I was a lost cause, floundering in the sea (luckily, I can hold my own in water, so that wasn’t an issue).
My dad rescued me pretty quickly and we swam back to the pontoon. He swam over the reef. I swam over the endless abyss of nothingness that is the deep sea. Yes. I was less afraid of that than fish.
I dried off, got dressed and watched the rest from the safety of the underwater observation window.
So, the moral of this story is… ichthyophobia, though irrational, is real. Fish in the grocery store. Fish in tanks. Dead fish. Live fish. Any fish. Fear of fish.
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This post is dedicated to the fish that Mr. T convinced me would be nice for Q to have. Almost a year later, they have all passed. I hope they find peace in their rest because I sure do.
That experience sounds horrible! Do you eat fish?
I don’t eat fish, nope. I actually don’t eat anything that lives/grows in water.
How fun that you shared this. (for us, for you too maybe?) And LOVE your dedication.
For the record, I have a phobia of frogs. Really, deep, deep phobia. So I get this. Oh how I get it.
Ack! Snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef with a fish phobia? I can’t believe you even tried! You were one tough kid!
I had no idea such a thing existed. When did it all start?
I have no idea when it started or if I’ve always had it. No clue. It’s just there. Weird, huh?
Wow, it’s a good thing you could swim! My biggest fear is to fall (or be catapulted!) into the ocean… I am so scared of what’s down there (plus I’m not the greatest swimmer) so I know I would panic and drown!
A fear of fish, eh? Even dead ones in the grocery store?! That is kinda funny (sorry)!
Nice dedication! So, I guess Q won’t be getting any more fish?
That’s ok, you can laugh! It is funny.
No more fish for Q. The tank is gone – and everything with it!
That is too funny. And I’d love to see you inching past the seafood section of the grocery story
I’m not laughing. I’m not a fan of fish either…
That story about being flipped into the ocean? Absolutely terrifying to me. I actually like being on boats or sitting on the beach under an umbrella, but going in the water with all those fish and slimy creatures? No way, no how, no thank you. I’m not sure I’m an ichthyophobe, more like an unknown-aphobe. There’s something mysterious and vaguely threatening to me about the ocean. I suspect that those fish have something to do with it.
Thanks, now I feel all creeped out.
“unknown-aphobe”… that is awesome! I am not sure there is anything more unknown than the ocean (especially the deep sea).
Sorry to have creeped you out!
WOW I didn’t even know there’s a name for this kind of phobia and I can’t pronounce it lol. Actually I have my own phobia too that involves the water…I’m so scared of being drowned and used to have bad dreams about them. You’re too funny tho that you can write about your fears with such ease! Kudos to you
Thanks, Maureen! I can’t pronounce it, either! LOL
I knew you didn’t like fish, but did not realize you had a deep routed fear.
I believe that all fears are irrational, but if they are real to you then they are rational in your mind.
I don’t know that I have a phobia that is completely deeply routed. I do not like ugly bugs, but not to the point I’d call it a phobia…
Hmm – something to ponder.
I can’t say I can relate to this because I’m not really afraid of ANYTHING – (insert a deep rooted cackle here). Despite your weird phobia of fish, I have decided to still consider you a friend, as I too have a few phobias of my own. We can’t all be perfect.
WOW! That’s quite a story! My husband was swimming at his family’s pond (on the farm) once and he was bit in the nipple by a hungry fish! That was the last time he went swimming in that pond…
As for me, I’d kill to go fish-watching in the Great Barrier Reef – I’m more afraid of small spaces, claustrophobic that I am, than fish!
Stopping by from SITs!
Mine is crabs. I freak. It’s not fun to take care of my mom’s hermit crab, panic attacks also follow. And spiders make me pass out.
Alecia asked my question…I was wondering if you ate fish. I like salmon and that is it. I hate seafood, which is a real problem living in New England, but for me it is all about the taste (and maybe a little bit about the consistency).
Funny enough, I really don’t like little fish swimming by me in a lake, but I would be all over swimming the Barrier reef with, well, bigger fish.
Who is the dashing young fellow swimming with the fishes?
I suffer from ichthyophobia too! Although I think I may be worse. I couldn’t even look at the photo that you posted. Jumped right over it to this comment section. My family won’t take me seriously and think I’m just exaggerating. Thanks for sharing and letting me know that I’m not alone.