Overcoming Thalassophobia

By: Jasmin Cabecera

I’m afraid of the ocean. Yes, the “cool” deep blue sea. It’s not because I had some traumatic encounter with a shark or anything of that sort. It’s called thalassophobia. I have a fear of not knowing what’s around me when being in a huge body of water such as the ocean. Although it was a little foolish to talk about at first, I can now say that I managed to conquer that fear, and it was all thanks to a class trip that took place at Marine Lab in Key Largo, Florida.

On the second day of our trip, I was out on a boat, preparing myself to snorkel in seagrass beds. My classmates were inside the large sea, swimming through, and attempting to classify the types of seagrass. Meanwhile, my heart was pounding at the thought of not knowing what was lurking beneath the water. Nervously, I walked over to the edge of the boat and jumped in. The water was chilly and I was freaking out. My breathing was becoming heavier, and my body began to get weak. At that moment, I knew I was having a panic attack. I managed to get help from the people around me. An instructor, Bones, handed me her buoy and guided me towards the boat. As soon as my feet touched that solid surface, I felt at ease. There was nothing or no one that was going to get me back into the ocean.

Two days passed, and I remained dry. I would go on boat rides with my classmates. However, I would refuse to leave the boat unless there was dry ground. During those two days, I learned a lot about the ocean and its inhabitants. I was taught that the creepiest looking fish are actually the most affectionate towards humans. I was also shown several safety measures one should take when entering the ocean, such as how to react if I were to get caught in a rip current. This knowledge helped me get rid of some of the irrational fears that had built up over time.

Near the end of our trip, my classmates and I were out in the Atlantic Ocean exploring coral reefs. That’s the moment when I decided I was going to face my fear. I put on my snorkeling gear and stood at the edge of a boat. I vividly remember feeling a mix of anticipation and anxiety. I could hear the sound of the waves crashing, which were both comforting and scary. I stepped in. I felt that chilly water once again and began to get a bit nervous. However, I kept going. As my body began to get covered by water, I repeatedly reminded myself that I was going to survive. Once I got comfortable, I built up the courage to take a look inside. I saw lots of fish, some big, some small, and colorful ones too. Apart from fish, I also saw a lot of coral. I can tell you it looks nothing like it does in Google images. It was all so fascinating. The fear that was previously taking over my body was now gone. I realized the ocean isn’t an abyss of terror. In fact, it’s actually pretty awesome.

Facing my fear of the ocean wasn’t easy. I felt uncomfortable, uncertain, and got anxious seeing things around me. However, every challenge I faced made me more confident. Because of this experience, I learned to appreciate the beauty of the sea. What I once considered a source of fear, has now become a more sublime setting. So, if there’s a piece of advice I could give to anyone who suffers from thalassophobia, it would be that the best way to try and beat the fear is to just dive in.