Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

People Share Their Creepiest Ocean-Related Experiences

We really don't know much about what's in our oceans. That's a very scary thought. It's also enormous, so the stories of people who have been lost out in it for weeks at a time can really creep you out. What the hell are we doing out there? Isn't being on land freaky enough?

Oh, and did none of you watch Jaws? If that's not reason enough to stay on land, I don't know what is. Some of you are way too brave for your own good.

As beautiful as the ocean can be, many people have had some unnerving experiences. We heard some of them after Redditor anchorwitch asked the online community,

"Sailors, scuba divers, surfers, and others…have you seen or experienced anything on or in the water that gave you the creeps? What is your creepiest ocean-related experience?"

"I encountered a moray..."

"I encountered a moray eel chomped in half on a night dive. Eel was still swimming."

alexnewberry

Half along what axis? Inquiring minds want to know.

"Had a pool of dolphins..."

"Had a pod of dolphins swim under me and my friend, grazed our legs. The waves sucked, we were just hanging out on the boards."

"Immediately thought bull shark or nurse, checking if we were food. Then we saw dolphins popping up. They were just passing through I guess."

iBelieveinSpace

I'm convinced dolphins do that on purpose for funsies.

"I've had some of the best and worst..."

"I've had some of the best and worst experiences of my life cave diving. Moments where I was totally at peace in a completely alien environment and just one with nature in a way that I don't think is possible outside of a few very special situations."

"I've also had a few moments where I thought I was going to die alone, in the dark, underwater. Only one of those moments was a true close call. The others were mostly psychological and valuable learning experiences. It's not for most people and it takes a certain mindset, but my life would be noticeably emptier without it. Risks and all."

helodriver87

Cave diving is like taking all of the claustrophobic horror of standard caving with the deadliness of diving.

"When a 10 foot mako..."

"When a 10 foot mako swam past as we were diving with lemon and nurse sharks. A little bit of poop came out."

[deleted]

Ha. I initially read this in a way that made it seem like you were terrified that the ten footer pooped.

"The creepiest..."

"The creepiest for me was seeing a 12 foot tiger shark swimming in the distance when I was diving in Hawaii. The water was clear but there was a little haze. It was just far enough away that i kept losing track of where it was. Then I would turn my head around and see it behind me again."

verac23

Nooope.

I have seen way too many killer shark movies.

"Thankfully no..."

"Thankfully no, but I had a buddy who swears part of his route was “haunted with shrimp”. I could never quite get a full explanation of what that meant, but he’d get a funny look in his eye and goosebumps when he talked about it. Weird stuff."

[deleted]

Damn, I need to know this now. Don't leave me hanging!

"There were days..."

"There were days/nights out on the Persian Gulf when the sea was perfectly calm and looked like glass. The stillness always gave me the creeps for some reason."

Tonys_Grundle

It becomes disorienting. Your mind does weird things when you have no point of reference.

"Noticed in my peripheral vision..."

"Snorkeling - noticed in my peripheral vision a massive moray eel that was longer than me, about 6’, and about one foot away from me just swimming beside me , it was no threat but scared the crap out of me at first ,more than seeing a shark in the distance."

Dengareedo

When an eel passes by, and you think you might die, that’s a morayyyyy

"I was young..."

"I was young (maybe 2nd grade?) and was out on a lake with my friend. At the time, I was really into fishing, so that’s what we were doing. I was leaning down over the water to take a look at what was going on in there, and a MASSIVE gar pike came right up to the surface and charged past us. I still think about it."

fcker5000

That would absolutely leave an impression!

"Looked up..."

"Was snorkeling around Clearwater with my nieces. Looked up and thought I saw a shark for a split second so I made us all go in. They were pretty mad at the time. The next day we wake up and it’s on the news that a girl was bit by one at the same beach later that day."

[deleted]

Sounds like you definitely dodged a bullet!

The ocean is terrifying, friends. Moral of these stories: Probably best to stay on land and mind your business.

Have some stories of your own? Feel free to tell us more in the comments below!

Want to "know" more?

Sign up for the Knowable newsletter here.

Never miss another big, odd, funny, or heartbreaking moment again.

More from Trending/best-of-reddit

Matthew Lillard; Jacob Elordi
Jean-Baptiste LACROIX / AFP via Getty Images; Don Arnold/WireImage

Matthew Lillard Explains Why He's 'Obsessed' With 'Freaking Delicious' Jacob Elordi—And We Totally Get It

Scream star Matthew Lillard finds Jacob Elordi absolutely irresistible—and, like, yeah... who doesn't?!

In an interview with Yahoo's Off the Cuff, Lillard admitted he's "obsessed" with the Australian star, calling him "freaking delicious" and even effusively praising his taste in handbags.

Keep ReadingShow less
Kat Abughazaleh
Kat Abughazaleh/YouTube

Illinois Democrat Running For U.S. Congress Goes Viral With Genius Attack Ad—On Herself

Katherine Abughazaleh—pronounced /ah-buu-gə-ZAH-lay/—is a progressive Democratic candidate for Illinois' 9th congressional district, located to the northwest of Chicago. The seat had been held by retiring Democratic Representative Jan Schakowsky since 1999.

Abughazaleh, known as Kat Abu online, is turning a familiar campaign tactic on its head by launching an attack ad against herself.

Keep ReadingShow less
Sean Duffy
Al Drago/Getty Images

Sean Duffy Gets Blunt History Lesson After Bragging About Trump Having 'Best Cabinet' Since Founding Fathers

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy was given a swift fact-check after he boasted on X that President Donald Trump has the "Best Cabinet since 1776"... seemingly unaware that the first Cabinet wasn't even appointed until years later.

Duffy shared a photo of himself grinning front-and-center while flanked by other Trump administration members, all of whom beamed at the camera. All of them gave the cameraman the thumbs up.

Keep ReadingShow less
Pete Hegseth
AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post/Getty Images

Trump Administration Dragged After U.S. Military Shoots Down One Of Our Own Drones Over Texas

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has long emphasized the "warrior ethos" he expects from the U.S. military but now his leadership (to say nothing of the Trump administration as a whole) is facing criticism after military personnel shot down a drone operated by U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) on Thursday in Texas in yet another display of incompetence.

Lawmakers said that the military used a laser to down a CBP drone at Fort Hancock, leading the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to expand flight restrictions near El Paso, Texas. The reason for the laser use remains unclear, but it was the second such deployment in the area in two weeks, despite rules requiring coordination with aviation regulators.

Keep ReadingShow less
Brady Tkachuk
Alexander Tamargo/Getty Images for E11EVEN Miami

U.S. Hockey Star Slams White House For Sharing AI-Doctored Video Of Him Insulting Canadians

There's a saying about laying down with dogs. Or, you're known by the company you keep. NHL player and Team USA member Brady Tkachuk is learning that lesson.

The Tkachuk brothers, Brady—who plays professional hockey for the Ottawa Senators based in the capital city in the province of Ontario, Canada—and Matthew—who plays for the Florida Panthers based in the metro Miami area—had already drawn ire online for being proud supporters of MAGA Republican President Donald Trump during the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics even before the disastrous locker room celebration with FBI Director Kash Patel after their gold medal win.

Keep ReadingShow less