Since the beginning of speculative fiction, readers have always been fascinated by sea monsters. From Scylla and Charybdis in Greek mythology to giant squids in Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea and beyond, there’s no end to the intrigue. That’s because we all recognize that the ocean and the creatures that live within it are huge and more than a little terrifying.
If you’re already afraid of going for a swim on the beach, turn back now, because this list of real-life attacks definitely won’t help you sleep at night.
Close to Shore
Author Michael Capuzzo details perhaps the most infamous shark attack in American history. In 1916, a rogue Great White shark attacked along the New Jersey shore—not once or twice, but several times over a two-week interval. The most disconcerting part of all? The attacks occurred as far as 11 miles inland, meaning that no one was safe. The attacks caused a mass panic and became an inspiration for Steven Spielburg’s Jaws.
In Harm's Way
If you thought the sea and shark attacks were dangerous enough, try combining that with the threats of hypothermia, dementia… and an enemy navy. That’s what the men of the USS Indianapolis had to face during World War II. After being torpedoed by a Japanese submarine, 900 sailors were thrown into the Pacific Ocean. Of them, only about one-third survived.
Doug Stanton’s account not only details the chain of decisions that led to devastating consequences, but also the grit and determination required for the fortunate few who overcame such hardships.
Soul Surfer: A True Story of Faith, Family, and Fighting to Get Back on the Board (An Inspiring True Story)
The #1 New York Times bestseller and inspiration for the film allows the victim of a shark attack to tell her story in her own words. Bethany Hamilton was surfing in Kauai, Hawaii, when she was attacked by a shark. Though she lost her left arm, she managed to make it to shore and even returned to surfing.
Brook Watson
Photo Credit: John Singleton Copley / National Gallery of ArtBrook Watson, the Lord Mayor of London from 1796 to 1797, is perhaps best known as the subject for a John Singleton Copley painting, called Watson and the Shark. Completed in 1778, the painting depicts an incident from Watson’s boyhood, when he survived a shark attack in Havana, Cuba. Though he lost his right leg below the knee, he survived the encounter and lived to be 72.
In the Heart of the Sea
Sharks aren’t the only dangerous creature in the ocean. The whaleship Essex was attacked by an angry sperm whale in 1820, and the saga that followed became the inspiration for Moby-Dick. In this National Book Award-winning volume, author Nathaniel Philbrick details the chilling facts behind the infamous maritime disaster.
Featured image: Laura College / Unsplash
