The sea can be as tempestuous and brutal as it is beautiful. For some people, bodies of water hold a deep fear that others might not fully understand. However, through the power of photography, everyone can feel this sense of lingering dread.
Our team at Bored Panda has compiled a list of the most terrifying and mesmerizing photos of open water that are bound to send shivers down your spine. Scroll down to see them—just make sure you know where the life vests and rowing boats are before you do so!
Meanwhile, if you suffer from thalassophobia—the fear of deep bodies of water—we suggest that you skip this post… unless you want to dip your toes in some exposure therapy.
Bored Panda reached out to clinical mental health counselor Dan Bates, Ph.D., who shed some light on overcoming phobias and how to know when to ask for professional help. You’ll find his insights as you read on. Bates is the host of the ‘Men’s Mental Health’ blog on Substack, as well as the ‘Mental Health Nerd’ blog on Psychology Today.
#1 Orcas Breaching In Rough Seas, Photo Taken From A Sword Fishing Boat Off The Coast Of Nova Scotia
Image source: br4ndnewbr4d
#2 Extreme Waves In The North Sea
Image source: Morksky
#3 East Coast Low Intensifying
Image source: ihaig72sydney
#4 In The Water Column
Image source: André Musgrove Underwater Photography
#5 Now You Have An Aquarium
Image source: bothcoasts
#6 Staring Down What Could Be A 1,000-Ft-Deep Wormhole Through The Blue Ice Of The Lower Ruth Glacier
Image source: argonautphoto
#7 Stormy Seas
Image source: Roger_Weston
#8 Stormy Sea
Image source: communist_caleb
#9 It’s 50% Exciting And 50% Scary. The Hole Is 150 Meters Deep, And It’s Actually Way Too Cold To Swim In There For Longer Than A Few Seconds
Image source: kirxxii
#10 It’s Hard To Beat Diving In This Majestic Cenote In The Summer Months
Image source: tom.st.george
#11 Underground Freshwater Storage In Munich, Germany
Image source: TheRealSlimHayzel
#12 Big Waves Catching The Light At Tynemouth Pier On Sunday
Image source: Jim Scott Photography
#13 Night At Sea
Image source: Mercarcher
#14 There’s Something Unsettling About A Calm Sea
Image source: iambrillant
#15 Abandoned Silver Mine Shafts. Lake Superior Thunder Bay Ontario
Image source: Mooky7
#16 Another Day At Work, Pretending I’m An Astronaut
Image source: HannahAquanaut
#17 We Were At 60 Ft To Capture This Photo
Image source: andremusgrove
#18 Diving The Flooded Caves In Mexico Feels Like Time Traveling To A Moment Before The Last Ice Age When These Formations Were Dripping Passage Ways To The Spirit World
Image source: twanathan
#19 Gjoa Haven, Nunavut. Where Inuit Still Hunt For Food And Often Have To Cross Cracks Like This With Their Snowmobiles And Homemade Sleds (Though Not As Big As This)
Image source: NimblyJimblyNS
#20 The Extreme Lengths Some Go To For Their Alone Time
Image source: adamfreediver
#21 Milada Lake, Czech Republic
Image source: esmo52
#22 I Went Kayaking In An Abandoned Limestone Mine
Image source: appleyjuice13
#23 Higgins Lake, Michigan Where The Entire 34 Km Shoreline Features A Sudden Drop-Off
Image source: candlegun
#24 Snorkeling With Leopard Sharks In La Jolla Was Truly An Unforgettable Experience
Image source: thejournaloflosttime
#25 Sailing Into The Storm
Image source: dwstevens
#26 A Caribbean Reef Shark Framed In A Hatchway From My Dive On Big Crab In Nassau, The Bahamas
Image source: tom.st.george
#27 Perfect Conditions For A Dive
Image source: kristinkuba
#28 My Cousin’s Sister-In-Law Works On A Tugboat That Tows Oil Platforms Across The Ocean. In All Weather Conditions
Image source: D3qual
#29 Massive Mexican Cavern
Image source: jferraragallery
#30 Sea
Image source: MiTa988
#31 People Watching A Wave From Hurricane Lee
Image source: debblauss
#32 Creepy Pond Weeds
Image source: mike_____f
#33 Common Starfish Looks Cool On This Frame At Balicasag Island Bohol
Image source: mgabatangdagat
#34 Just A Picture Of Heavy Sea
Image source: MCPenner
#35 Rough Day In The Gulf Of Mexico
Image source: CaptAnonymous89
#36 When The Sun Goes Behind A Cloud It’s Like Someone Turned Off The Lights. All You Can Do Is Hope They Come Back On Again Soon
Image source: tom.st.george
#37 Always Lurking Just Out Of Sight
Image source: reddit.com
#38 Giant Vortice Building Up In The Black Sea
Image source: RoccomGG
#39 Trees Underwater On The Edge Of A Clear, Deep Lake
Image source: reddit.com
#40 Sea Cave – Anacortes, Washington
Image source: charliespannaway
#41 Sudden Shiver Down My Spine
Image source: get-priest-on-LWIAY
#42 It Appears To Be Some Kind Of A Hole, And I’m Going In
Image source: GarysCrispLettuce
#43 After Walking 50 M Into A Narrow, 150-Year-Old Gold Mine, This Vertical Shaft Emerges
Image source: Responsible_Shake_83
#44 The Elpida Wreck In Cyprus Is One Of Many Great Wrecks Along With The Famous Zenobia Wreck
This wreck was scuttled in 2019 only a 20-minute boat ride from Larnaca harbor. The bottom of the wreck is around 30m, and the most shallow parts are 10-15m. The wreck still has a steering wheel and is great for beginners and experienced wreck divers.
Image source: alex_dawson_photography
#45 I Was On A Boat Last Night, And The Ocean Looked Scary
Image source: Myzzelf0
#46 A Few Shots From Yesterday’s Dive Session In The Blue Hole
Image source: adamfreediver
#47 Thalassophobia Triggered
Image source: Ganemede-x
#48 Just Diving Along The Shipwreck Of A Libyan Tanker Um El Faroud Near Malta At About 35 M/115 Ft Deep
Image source: fanton18
#49 Saw These Underwater Trees While Hiking, This Kind Of Stuff Freaks Me Out
Image source: Ape_Squid
#50 These Photos Of My Wife Just Tug At My Heart Strings
Image source: shredgnargnarpowpow
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