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| Tuesday, August 22, 2006 |
| Whale Phobia Revisited |
Five months ago, March 26 to be exact, I blogged about my lifelong fear of whales in a post entitled Whale of a Phobia. Since then I've had 22 visits to that post from people who have Googled "fear of whales." So I decided to revisit the topic.
There just isn't a whole lot of information to be found on the web about whale phobia. I can't even find a name for it. There must be an official name for it out there somewhere. To name an unlisted phobia, it must have a Greek prefix to go with the Greek word 'phobia.' The Greek word for whale is 'ketos' or cetus', from which we get the word cetacea, the scientific order for whales. Therefore, let us refer to the fear of whales as "cetaphobia." Works for me.
Some may think a fear of whales more farfetched than say, a fear of snakes or a fear of crowds. Why would someone be afraid of a creature they have no danger of encountering? There are a multitude of irrational or unfounded phobias, but maybe this one isn't so fantastic. I know of a few individuals who wouldn't consider cetaphobia so farfetched. Note the following:
Whale leaps aboard sailing boat
August 2003LONDON, England (Reuters) -- "A British family's holiday was rudely interrupted when a 30-foot (9-meter) whale crashed onto their sailing boat off the east coast of Australia. The 10-ton humpback whale leapt out of the water and pulled the rigging and mast along with it as it slid down the boat, British media reported on Wednesday. "I was below deck when there was a hell of a crash from port as it leapt out of nowhere," said Trevor Johnson, 61, who was on the boat with his wife, two sons and a son's girlfriend. "It's amazing that no one was hurt or killed, but it was a terrifying experience," he told The Daily Telegraph. The 40-foot boat was 10 miles away from the shore and the radio equipment did not work. They were eventually towed to dry land after using a mobile phone to ring for help. The family, from Coventry, chartered the £150,000 (U.S. $238,000) boat and set sail from Airlie Beach to go on a 10-day trip around the Whitsunday Islands, according to the Telegraph. "There was a bang and a thud, and a whale came about 12 ft out of the water and slid down the side. It was shedding barnacles from its tummy and caught itself on the rigging. I was very shocked -- it was very scary," Mark Johnson told the newspaper."
Woman hospitalized after run-in with whale tail
Jul 2004 CBC News
HAPPY VALLEY-GOOSE BAY - "A woman from Labrador was in hospital on Tuesday, recovering from face and head injuries she suffered when a whale whacked her boat with its tail.
On Sunday, Brenda Hancock was taking an evening cruise on Forteau Bay with her husband Regg and another couple when a whale surfaced, flipped its large black tail out of the water and struck the Hancocks' brand-new boat. The blow knocked out the windshield and struck Hancock on the head, causing minor injuries. No one else on board was injured.
"My wife has this terrific fear of whales and every time you go near a boat she is always talking about 'Don't go near whales,'" Regg Hancock says.
"I used to always laugh at that and say, 'There is no way a whale will come near a boat.' Well, she proved me wrong."
Brenda Hancock is recovering from her injuries at Charles S. Curtis Memorial Hospital in St. Anthony."
Book of Jonah
Jonah 1:17, 2:1, 2:10 (MSG)
"Then GOD assigned a huge fish to swallow Jonah." "Jonah was in the fish's belly three days and nights. Then Jonah prayed to his God from the belly of the fish. "Then GOD spoke to the fish, and it vomited up Jonah on the seashore."
Well, okay, the Hebrew word used in Jonah was 'fish,' not 'whale,' but it's traditionally believed to have been a whale. It could easily contribute to developing a fear during childhood. Another source of stuff that fears are made of is the story of Pinocchio.
The Adventures of Pinocchio
by C. Collodi (Chapter 34)
"Poor Pinocchio! The sight of that monster frightened him almost to death! He tried to swim away from him, to change his path, to escape, but that immense mouth kept coming nearer and nearer.
"Hasten, Pinocchio, I beg you!" bleated the little Goat on the high rock.
And Pinocchio swam desperately with his arms, his body, his legs, his feet.
"Quick, Pinocchio, the monster is coming nearer!"
Pinocchio swam faster and faster, and harder and harder.
"Faster, Pinocchio! The monster will get you! There he is! There he is! Quick, quick, or you are lost!"
Pinocchio went through the water like a shot--swifter and swifter. He came close to the rock. The Goat leaned over and gave him one of her hoofs to help him up out of the water.
Alas! It was too late. The monster overtook him and the Marionette found himself in between the rows of gleaming white teeth. Only for a moment, however, for the Shark took a deep breath and, as he breathed, he drank in the Marionette as easily as he would have sucked an egg. Then he swallowed him so fast that Pinocchio, falling down into the body of the fish, lay stunned for a half hour.
When he recovered his senses the Marionette could not remember where he was. Around him all was darkness, a darkness so deep and so black that for a moment he thought he had put his head into an inkwell. He listened for a few moments and heard nothing. Once in a while a cold wind blew on his face. At first he could not understand where that wind was coming from, but after a while he understood that it came from the lungs of the monster. I forgot to tell you that the Shark was suffering from asthma, so that whenever he breathed a storm seemed to blow."
The only good thing about this phobia is that it isn't a debilitating one. It's not too hard to stay away from environments where I might encounter a whale. If I'm exposed to whale images on television or in magazines which I find disturbing, I have only to change a channel or turn a page. I haven't dreamt of whales in years, as some people do. So maybe at this point in my life it's more discomfiture than full-blown phobia. But for the few seconds it's in my consciousness, it's real and unpleasant. And it's time to remind myself that God would have me be anxious for nothing, but dwell on lovely things and be at peace. (Philippians 4:6-9) I know, I know. Whales ARE lovely things in the eyes of many. To each his own.
For any visitors who happen across my blog in search of answers or self-help, I can't help you there. But if you come looking for a little empathy and understanding, I hope you find that. Being cetaphobic doesn't make you strange. At least not in itself! And you're not alone. |
| posted by Joye @ 12:32 AM |
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| 49 Comments: |
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Hey, Joye!
I can certainly understand how fears/phobias can be truly irrational & impossible to have any control over. I'm afraid of planes SOLELY because i've dreamt of several crashing. I've even been on a plane before! (before my dreams/nightmares, mind you) So, I get where you're coming from.
Just had to tell you, though, that I LOVE that you came up with your own name for your phobia with the Greek! How very cool is that!Next thing you know, it's gonna be in the dictionary!! :-D
<>< Mizbooks
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I have never considered a phobia of whales since I so rarely see them. The pinochio whale was a scary thing.
Big snakes creep me out. [insert shiver here]
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I just want to thank you for coming up with a name for the fear of whales. I have never encountered a whale, other than Sea World, but I am terrified of killer whales. Just Killer whales, they would not have the word Killer in their name if they creepy. So thank you again.
From,
Creeped Out By Whales.
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I had absolutely NO idea there was anyone else out there. If I even happen to come accross a photo of a whale, I need medication my panic attick is so bad. So believe me, you are not alone! My parents even tried to get my to see a therapist regarding it, but I researched the tactics therapists use to help with phobias and I think I may die with some of them; so I choose to just avoid at all costs!
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I was just googling for "whale phobia", because I needed to know if there are any other people who have the same fear as myself. I remember that Free Willy used to be my favourite movie when I was a kid (and fishing was one of my favourite hobbies...) but then just a couple of years ago I noticed that I have an enormous fear for whales and sharks and big fish. I can't explain my phobia, but my nightmares keep me awake for hours. It's now only killer whales and sharks, but all whales, blue whales etc. They are too huge. And I hate the way they move and I hate their heads, eyes, mouths, skin. And as my nightmares occur more often all the time I've noticed that I'm starting to fear the see as a whole. Hooray...
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sbkktO.M.Gah.
i thought i was completely alone in this fear, but apparently there re others! I couldn't find a name either...but from now on I'm using yours!
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I'm trying to find some advice for getting my whale fear under control because it is making my life difficult...and I live in a land-locked state! I can't even go swimming in a small indoor pool, or take a shower when I'm home alone because I imagine a whale sneaking up on me. I can't look at pictures or videos of them, or even play video games where they appear! My friends and family poke fun at me for having such an unusual fear, so I'm glad to know I'm not alone!
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I am glad to see I'm not alone. My friends all make fun of me so now i can say I'm not alone. I think it'sfunny that there are names for really random phobias like fear of beards and chins but not for whales.
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The fear of whales is not a joke by any means. I suffer from it greatly, and I'm sure I would pass out if I ever had a run in with a whale. I never really thought anyone else would had the same feelings on this, but I'm glad to see I'm not alone. When people ask me about it, I've always mentioned the biblical story of Jonah, and the story of Pinocchio because they are historical points that show other people have similar weariness and fears of whales. However, the simple idea of a whale jumping aboard a ship literally curled my toes and stopped my breath. Thank you for your idea of the word "Cetaphobia." Perhaps it will catch on after we've all used it enough.
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i am absolutley terrified of whales too!! videos of whales, pictures, even painted or drawn pictures of whales freak me out. when i went to see happy feet, i almost started crying because of the whales-- and the scary noises they make in finding nemo. and has anyone seen the preview for surfs up? wayyyy scary. you will not find me near a whale watch if i have anything to do with it.
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I cant even bear to type the word... i am so afraid of w####s that i get panic attacks whenever i even think of them, i burst into tears when i think of being in dark water and feeling something under my feet. I dont know how to get rid of this fear, does anyone have any ideas...
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Listen...I'm afraid of whales because of a traumatic childhood experience. What are ya'll's excuses? I mean honestly, the only reason to be afraid of whales is beacause they're freakin huge, not because of some innate fear of being eaten by them or something. That's ridiculous. Get a hold of yourselves people.
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Anonymous posted on 7/9: "What are y'all's excuses?" Thanks for posting, Anonymous. Surely you know that the human psyche sometimes cannot differentiate between a fear perceived and a fear actually experienced. That's why there is an entire catalog of phobias. Since you understand whale phobia through a traumatic childhood experience, please try to extend some compassion toward those who feel the same fear, albeit through perception rather than experience.
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My sister and I went to Sea World when we were 3 and 7 respectively. We both have reoccurring dreams about the killer whales, but not of the other exhibits. I finally went back to Sea World after 22 years and it still was discomforting to see them. I cannot explain it but it was traumatic for both of us.
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It's so awesome to see so many comments and your entry to confirm that there are more people who are afraid of whales out there. All my friends rag on me, but I feel really panicked if I see a picture of one or see them on TV. I can't even imagine how I would react to seeing one in the wild.
Also, I'd like to slap the "what's yall's problems?" person.
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The definition of a phobia is an IRRATIONAL FEAR. So saying we have no reason to have it is stating the obvious for a lot of people. There is pretty much NO REASON in more phobia cases than you can ever know.I am a f'n nut case when they get mentioned, seen or thought of and I stopped reading posts when I got weak in the knees and my stomach dropped about 100 miles down and left a big ice block in it's place. But get this guys: I have lived in NORTH DAKOTA for all my life until 2 years ago I moved to Wyoming!!! I have NEVER been to an aquatic show, the ocean, or ever even encountered a fish bigger than4 ft in length. Go ahead and tell me I have no reason to be scared... But I couldn't stop myself, at 8 months pregnant, from seeing a whale shark *chill moving up my spine* on animal planet, screeching uncontrolably, literally climbing to the back of the couch so intent at the picture on the itty bitty 27" screen that I fell backwards THROUGH my window(glass and all) and when I could no longer see the picture, I began throwing up repeatedly. By this time, my husband was yelling 'what the f**k? OMG! What happened??? Are you OK? Jesus, talk to me!!!(It took a good 15 minutes for me to begin to stop hyperventilating and crying to tell him) When he got the story out of me, I never heard the end of it(after a huge lecture on the damage I could have done to myself and baby(boy 15 months old now and healthy) and the question of my sanity). He still pokes fun when he remembers. But i am just as dumbfounded at my fears(whales not being my only super-phobia) as every shrink and friend that knows. I have avoided telling anyone about my fears as I have had a couple people break the trust and drive me to tears in under 1.5 seconds because they were being 'funny'. I'm glad to know that I'm not alone but seriously, this one really messes with me. Anyone with suggestions on how to deal are welcome to give me the handbook any time...
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this post and comments helped in in more ways then you guys know. thanks for sharing and helping feel like i belong, as odd as the subject may be. when i see that moutain dew commercial where the whales comes out of nowhere and swollows the scuba girl almost made me fainy. I also heard that the end of the new finding nemo ride you get swollowed by a whale. AHHHHH! not while i'm under water please.. damn! btw, phallainophobia is the phobia for fear of whales. finally we know, but your word works too.
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Aimmie, thanks for your comment. I did find the literal Greek word "phallaina" for whale on the Tufts University Greek Lexicon website, so phallainaphobia is a legitimate fit for this phobia. Thank you for finding it!
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I'm really glad to see there are other people who fear whales. I think that sea world and movies like free willy may be what scares me. Oh and you can look on YouTube, there's video of people being attacked by killer whales at sea world and stuff. AHHHH!!! I think I would have a heart attack if I ever went into water with a whale. My friends think I'm crazy, but I hate whales.
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Hey,
I've always been unreasonably scared of whales, but not only whales sharks and dolphins too even some fish i guess basically marine life. I was wonderinf if anyone else feels this way? email me layshaunijo@aol.com
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Just found you through this fear of whales thing... I have suffered from absolutely horrid night terrors about being trapped in the water with whales since I was a little tiny girl. It's so severe that I cannot even swim in a swimming pool, because I SWEAR I can just feel the whales in the water.
I so wish I understood where this comes from... I can't go to an aquarium without having panic attacks.
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My cousin is deathly afraid of whales. This gave me some solace
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i am glad that other people have "Cetaphobia" too, because to be honest i am not affraid of anything else, but i am scared sh!tless of whales i cant even bear to look at photos of them, i get shivers all over my body and turn in to panic mode.
thanks for all the help. Leicester Lad
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Let's reinstitute the whaling industry!
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omg, i thought i was all alone. i remember when finding nemo came out, and i asked my aunt who had just seen it if there was a whale in it, and for some reason she told me no!
i think i was 20 then, and as soon as i saw the shadow of the whale, i curled up in a ball in my theater seat and started crying.
i hate whales, i hate them so much.
not sharks, not dolphins, just whales.
i have nightmares sometimes that i'm stranded in the ocean, then i see a huge shadow come at me, and it's giant mouth opens up and swallows me.
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i watched a realistic cartoon when i was really little that had a giant mean whale in it, i always thought they were in my bathtub.
since then, i have been deathly afraid of them.
and sharks.
i refuse to even touch my foot in the ocean.
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im afraid of whales too...so is my friend...but shes also afraid of anything thats black and white and wet..and eggs
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phallainophobia is the fear of whales
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i thought i was like the only person afraid of whales and so many people have made fun of me for it. just seeing one on tv or in a picture makes me feel weak..i don't know why.
ive tried to research and see what the fear of whales is called and ive never seen anything.
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YAYYYYYYY im not the only one! my friends always make fun of me by sending me videos and pictures of whales all the time. i thought i was completely alone. therefore, i am quite happy to have stumbled upon this website! thank you very much for being scared along with me!
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I am so glad to find others with a whale phobia. Before I thought I might be one of the only ones. Now that I know that there are others I am more comforted.
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DDUUUUDDDDDEEEEE...whale phobia is stupid!...but I AM SO RELIEVED to know that I'M NOT ALONE. Hahaha...
I don't even know when it started...but I remember telling a friend of mine as we were sitting along a lake that I'm terrified of whales...and she was like, "like that one"...and pointed...TO THE LAKE!!!...and my heart seriously dropped!! That's when I realized...this is truly something I'm afraid of. I can't even watch them on commercials. But ironically, killer whales don't bother me at all.
I am soo glad you posted this...and so encouraged by all the comments.
Thanks guys!
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Wow. For all these years people in my school have been making fun of me because they were all afraid of snakes, clowns, ir spiders, and I was the "freak" afraid of whales. I don't know why I'm afraid of them. my friends tease me and send me pictures of them and I try to fight it but I tear up. I remember once when I was a younger, around 8, I went to the museum of natural history. The one from night at the museum? They have a life size whale and I didn't know and I think that's whne I really showed how scared I was, my friends had to hold me a drag me through. This year I had to go there for a school trip and my friends mom held my hand and walked me through it. I didn't want to make a big scene but it was still scary for me. I don't like many things related with water. being in the ocean is fine for me, but seeing dark water scenes on the tv scares me, or thinking about large lakes becuase you can't see the bottom, It's weird, but I'm soooo happy to know that I'm not alone.
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Wow it's so cool to find out that I'm not the only one! I've been afraid of whales for years, there just so... big. Like you, Disney's Pinochio totally freaked me out!
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I too am extremely afraid of whales. It's so odd there is so little information on the subject!
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Whales are so fricking creepy! I haven't been afraid of them my whole life, but for some reason, a few years back I just saw a photo of one and couldn't look at it. I don't know why, but I think it is just because they're so huge and such. I'm not particularly afraid of killer whales, or the really small ones so for me its strictly the size. Glad to see there are tons of people with the same phobia as me!
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Im also terrified of whales Im glad someone out there says its true too.
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Now all my friends can suck it. Being afraid of whales is not weirder than being afraid of zombies. At least whales are real.
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Ma-han, i'm 14. and i had a nightmare about a whale eating me when i was 7 and now i keep on having reoccurring nightmares about them. they scare the living day lights out of me. like they fact that we can fit easily between one of there teeth. AHH! i would not even go in a boat if there was a whale 900kms away. they are monsters of the sea in my opinion, and also sinse i live in australia they come here for mating season, and they have just discovered this whale sanctuary or something, scares me to bits. =0
im glad im not the only one petriffied of these ginormous creatures.
peace
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Whales are by far the most scary thing in the world!!! I know that my phobia is completely irrational, but at least I have the comfort in knowing that I'll not wake up with one on my bedroom ceiling. Thank god I'm not scared of spiders.
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My phobia is only blue whales. They're horrifying because of their size. I remember seeing an arial shot of this HUGE ship, and then the camera pulls out, and we see that the ocean liner being dwarfed by the shadow of a blue whale swimming under it. If that whale were to turn over, the boat would've capsized. The word capsized freaks me out too, now that I've typed it.
Blue whales also live in the deepest parts of the ocean. I'm also afraid of the ocean because it's so vast.
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Strange to see so many people experiencing this fear/phobia.
I haven't suffered from thi my whole life, but I don't know when it came about.
I like to scare myself, so I will delibrately watch programmes about under water creatures and whales, but find it hard to watch and can feel exhausted from the effort afterwards.
I've been known to throw a magazine across the room as I thought it had a whale on an double page spread. Turned out it was just a picture of an island.
I think I find it very difficult still if I'm not suprised by images of them. But if they come out of the blue, I can't handle it at all, short of breat, shudder, have to move away from it straight away etc...
I think they're amazing animals, I don't hate them or think they're horrible. But they're just too big, that's where I struggle with them. Far too big. Whale Sharks, sperm whales, blue whales are the worst. Scared of killer whales too but definately not as much.
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I have had a fear/phobia of whales since I was very small. I'm sure the fact that I watched Pinocchio when I was tiny is to blame and I know it scared the hell out of me. I havent had panic attacks or anything bad like that but the thought of a whale makes my skin crawl and I get all paranoid. I hate their tails and can't bear to look at photos of them and also hate the idea of open water. Its good to know theres kind of a name for it and other people suffer from this very strange phobia!
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You know what? I never thought of googling to see if anyone else had this fear until I talked to a friend of mine about it today and she looked it up because she said if she had that unique of a phobia she would want to know who else had it. So I did and I am so amazed to find that several of you mentioned the same thing that I always thought was my reasoning for being afraid of whales. These reasons just confirmed it:
1) Watching the scene in Pinocchio as a child where he gets swallowed by the whale freaked me out, but I didn't think I had a phobia then.
2) Being afraid of dark water and open water. I go to the beach and stay near the shore. I do not walk near the water or like being at the beach when it is dark, not happening. And if I am driving away from the lake or a large body of water and see it in my rear view I freak out.
3) I wasn't always this phobic, it seemed that as a teen I started having dreams of being on a lounger on the beach, falling asleep and the tide taking me out to sea, me waking up and a blue whale next to me opening its mouth. I almost shat my pants as I typed that.
4) when I think of blue, sperm, or killer whales, see pictures of them in magazines books, videos or tv, my stomach drops and I feel like I could faint. I used to tremble, but I've gotten better with that.
I've never seen Free Willy, My daughter loves Finding Nemo and I have to leave the room with the Whale scene. There is a savings and investment company with a Whale as the mascot, a blue whale at that and the commercial will never get played in my house. It's just something so creepy and terrifying about a creature so huge fluently moving through the vast, eternal ocean. CREEPY! It's like one of the few things left from dinosaur ages that remains unchanged. Prehistoric scaryness. I'm so glad to see that I'm not alone. If anyone else laughs at me I am going to let them know other people have phallainophobia and it's legit. lol
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Thank you for this post, now I know I'm not alone. Like many people who have posted above, I have been mocked for being afraid of whales. I have seen Free Willy when I was smaller, but now, forget it. However, besides whales, I cannot look at sharks, big boulders underwater or submarines (which ironically look like whales). But I remember being at some war museum in France and slowly approaching some ~5 meter long u-bomb replica which looked like a giant vertical whale and I got so freaked out I ran away. I don't know why, it's like those things are too big for my brain to process so I start to panic...ah well.
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I also have a phobia of whales, I used to despise those posters that everyone had of a huge whhale tail disappearing into the water, my stomach flips just writing it down. I have heard it called cetaphobia and phallainophobia. There's a website here:
http://www.cetaphobia.com/
but it seems to be still under construction. We're clearly all mad!
Best wishes
Greg
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I love the game Endless Ocean but im afraid to go to the deep water because of whales.
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OH MY GOD!!! so i googled my phobia of whales trying to find a name for it and trying to see if i was the only one since everyone i know likes to make fun of me...thank you so much for sharing my pain.
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Ummmm...
I was skimming along your responses and stumbled upon a few comments stating their fear of SHAMU which is totally acceptable in every way possible I think all should fear the killer whale. But Shamu is an "Orca" and the Orca is definitly a part of the dolphin family. I'm not trying to be an a** because I too share a fear of whales but I thought I might redirect the few that have a targeted fear towards the great Orca...
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Hey, Joye!
I can certainly understand how fears/phobias can be truly irrational & impossible to have any control over. I'm afraid of planes SOLELY because i've dreamt of several crashing. I've even been on a plane before! (before my dreams/nightmares, mind you) So, I get where you're coming from.
Just had to tell you, though, that I LOVE that you came up with your own name for your phobia with the Greek! How very cool is that!Next thing you know, it's gonna be in the dictionary!! :-D
<>< Mizbooks