I have another form of Selachophobia (Fear of sharks) If I touch a picture of a shark's head (especially with its mouth open) it can still bite my fingers off. I remember once in fourth grade we were reading a magazine, and I was holding it up the whole time I was reading. And since I was a faster reader than any of the other kids in the class, I got to the last page and dropped the magazine, kicked over my desk(hitting the child in front of me and injuring her) and scrambled onto the kid behind me's desk, all the while screaming bloody murder. I had been touching a shark's picture the whole friggin' time! Three teachers came running from different classrooms. I got into so much trouble just because it was "ONLY a PICTURE of a shark." I also have the phobia of a shark popping up in the pool and I won't take baths. Lakes are avoided at all costs and...the ocean? Yeah right.
The shark phobia is anything shark, turning the page in National Geographic to be faced with a shark used to result in tossing, throwing the magazine and running and screaming. Watching TV had the same results. I once slapped myself in the face to cover my eyes when forced to view Jaws in English class and never heard the end of it. I also have a hard time swimming in any body of water I can’t see the bottom. Or even worse to dive in the deep end of the pool and look up from the bottom, huge uncontrollable panic attack. I worked through most of the phobia by reading books on sharks and watching Jaws and TV specials. I still get a flight response when a shark image POPS up on TV or a book. But I don’t slap my face so much. Amazingly the sharks I have seen in person at the aquarium don’t give me this response. The anticipation was worse then actually seeing them.
		Ever since I was little, I have been terrified of sharks. I never realized this until when I was probably around five or six, and I went on a family trip to an overseas aquarium. It went fine until there was this huge shark made of rock and painted an unearthly blue beside the exit and I freaked out like hell and I wouldn't let go of the steps-handle (where you have to walk down to reach the exit) no matter how much my dad pulled my hand. I was screaming and creating a commotion right there. People stared at me but I couldn't care less. At last, my dad had to carry me over his back and I was there, clinging for dear life and burying my face in his shirt, silently crying. Ever since then, I couldn't bathe without closing my eyes for fear that a shark's head might just pop out of the shower. My phobia of sharks has never subsided, and even now, I still fear any magazine/book or anything related to sharks. I mean, maybe you won't find the shape of a shark's head and its beady eyes terrifying, but I do, and god, how I hate those things!
			I thought I was the only crazy person that was afraid a shark would pop off the bathtub when I fill it, or swim fast when I dive in the deep part of the pool to the low part of it. Mostly my biggest fear is this one and the one of being realizing how small I am with gigantic buildings or being in a very high place and realizing that I can throw myself. My fear of sharks goes beyond anything I can explain. I was reading at your page. About shark pictures. I remember reading National Geographic magazines and when turning the page, holding a shark picture with my fingers, and screaming out loud. It has happend to me, very, very often. Itīs so bad that I usually try to hold the page from another corner so it wonīt bite me. I know itīs stupid. Itīs as stupid as thinking a shark could get you in the dept of a pool, when I know that sharks canīt live in sweet water. But still If I canīt see, or even if I can see the dept and everything in the pool before I get in, I get scared, specially if thereīs noone swimming there. I have had shark insidents, though this were after my phobia started it was worse. And I watch movies and buy magazines and try to learn everything about sharks to stop my fear. Though mostly my fear is from great white sharks. All are scary but thatīs the one I hate the most. It was as crazy as when I took a bath in the tub in a hotel in South Padre Island...and I was scared to death whenever I heard any noise through the tubs...I just canīt go inside the dept of the pool if thereīs no people around me, so I have to get them in, since I love to swim. And into the ocean, I go as far as where I can still touch the ground and only if there are people in front of me, If a shark comes, hopefuly it will eat them first. <--- selfish isnīt it? Iīm sure that If I get to see a shark again and not being out of the sea, Iīd die of a heart attack first.