Shark Spirit Animal: What Does a Shark Symbolize?

Sharks mean many things to different people. To some, they are the cold-blooded killers of the sea that lurk just beneath the surface waiting to make a meal of the first unsuspecting swimmer they find – and yet to others, they are graceful, elegant creatures to be admired.

Whatever you think of sharks and however you feel about them, they are an animal of great symbolism that can make a powerful spirit animal – and for those interested in learning more, in this post, we have all the info you need about choosing the shark spirit animal for you.

Shark Symbolism

The shark is such a distinctive and unmistakable animal that has been revered and feared perhaps in equal measure around the world. It’s not surprising, then, that sharks are also highly symbolic, so let’s start by thinking about some of the things they can represent.

1. Power

If there’s one thing that sharks almost universally symbolize, it’s power. Although there are many types of sharks in the sea, and not all of them are big or powerful creatures, this is the image that most people have of sharks, and it’s what we most closely associate with them.

2. Death

Something else that is inextricably linked with sharks is death, often sudden and violent death from below.

Of course, this is largely due to certain Hollywood depictions of sharks, and sharks are not all the bloodthirsty maneaters of popular imagination.

However, shark attacks do occasionally occur, and when they do, they are often catastrophic – and when many people think of sharks, this is the first image that springs to mind.

3. Danger

Closely related to the symbolism of death is the association with have with sharks and danger.

The idea of shark-infested waters as the epitome of something dangerous to be avoided is inescapable, and as a result, sharks are highly symbolic of danger.

4. Action

We associate sharks with bursts of action when they rush in for the kill or when they swarm together in a feeding frenzy, and as such, they can symbolize intense or frenzied periods of activity.

5. Speed

Many sharks are supremely streamlined and are capable of great bursts of speed, something that also goes with their capability to burst into action from seeming lethargy whenever required.

6. Hidden strength

Although they can be fast, active and powerful hunters, most sharks spend their time gliding lazily around conserving their energy until it’s time to hunt. For this reason, they can symbolize hidden strength since they rarely show what they are capable of until the critical moment.

7. Single mindedness

Sharks are not great thinkers and seemingly spend their time roaming the oceans looking for their next meal – until it’s time to find a mate and breed.

This perfect simplicity to their lives means they can also symbolize single-mindedness in pursuit of one’s goals.

8. Beauty and grace

Despite their fearsome reputations, sharks are undeniably beautiful creatures – some more so than others – and they can symbolize beauty and grace as well as the perfection of nature.

Shark Spiritual Meaning

As such a potent and evocative symbolic image, sharks also have deep spiritual meaning to many people, so let’s look at this now.

1. Hidden meanings

Since they spend their lives swimming and hunting far beneath the ocean’s surface, they can represent thoughts and emotions buried deep within our subconscious minds.

We might not always be aware of the sharks swimming below our conscious level of awareness, but if we want to truly know ourselves and who we are – and perhaps deal with our inner demons – we need to look below the surface to find out what’s down there.

Like diving into a dark sea filled with the unknown, this can be dangerous and frightening, but we need to find the courage to do this if we hope to deal with whatever we find there and then move forward in a more positive way.

2. Development and a focus on the future

Many species of shark need to keep swimming or they will drown, so sharks are always moving forward and never stay still.

As a result, in spiritual terms, sharks can be a metaphor for our need to focus on the future and what lies ahead rather than dwelling too much on the past.

Of course, it’s important to deal with the past and process things that have already happened – but it’s more important to keep a positive mindset and look to the future with optimism.

3. Ancient knowledge and wisdom

Sharks have existed since at least the Early Jurassic period around 200 million years ago, and in that time, they have changed very little, so perfectly adapted to their environment are they.

Due to their extended presence in all of our oceans stretching back into the distant past, in a spiritual sense, they represent the ancient knowledge and wisdom of nature and the world that we can try to reach through spiritual practices such as meditation.

4. Awareness of and connection to the spirit world

Sharks rely on their almost supernatural senses to hunt, and this means they can also represent a closeness to the spirit world through being so keenly attuned to the world around them.

This means sharks can serve as a reminder that there is more going on than what we can detect with just our eyes and ears, and if we want to connect with the spirit world, we need to learn how to become more attuned to the messages the spirit world sends to us.

How Do You Know if the Shark Is Your Spirit Animal?

The shark is a controversial choice of spirit animal due to its association with aggression and death. However, it can also become a powerful ally that can help us negotiate the most difficult times in our lives with confidence and surety of direction.

Here are some of the things that may indicate that the shark spirit animal is a good match for you.

1. You are a doer, not a thinker

Are you a doer rather than a thinker? Are you the kind of person who likes to act quickly and decisively rather than spending lots of time considering the best course of action? If you are, the shark could be the ideal choice of spirit animal.

2. You don’t waste energy or emotion unnecessarily

Shark people don’t like to waste energy unnecessarily – they are confident in their strength and their abilities, and they don’t need to put on a show to convince other people because they know what they are capable of.

If this resonates with you, choosing the shark as your spirit animal could be a wise move.

3. You are capable of bursts of emotion or activity when required

Although you don’t like to make a spectacle of your inner strength, when the time comes, you are not afraid to unleash your powers to achieve your aims. This may surprise those around you, but this also helps you get what you want.

And if this describes your approach to life, the shark spirit animal could be a good fit.

4. You are quietly confident in your own abilities

Shark people don’t doubt themselves or suffer from crises of confidence because they have great self-belief. Choosing the shark as your spirit animal can reinforce this kind of self-confident feeling, making you even more certain that the things you do are right.

Shark Totem

Sharks live lives of perfect simplicity, but there’s also a lot we can learn from them, and having a shark totem can help remind us of these lessons.

1. It helps you control your emotions

Sharks don’t show emotions on their expressionless faces, never demonstrating fear or anger.

Sometimes being able to control your emotions in this way can be a great advantage. It can often help to keep a poker face so that others don’t know what you are thinking, and keeping a cool head will also allow you to make cold, logical decisions rather than acting on impulse.

In this respect, the shark totem can help you dominate your emotions rather than allowing them to rule you, and this can help you become a more successful person in life, even if it means other people may sometimes find you cold and emotionless.

2. It gives you inner strength

We’ve already seen that people who take the shark as their spirit animal can benefit from the shark’s inner strength and innate self-confidence, and this is also something that can come from the shark totem.

The shark totem can help those lacking in confidence to stand up for themselves and become more assertive – while those who are already sure of themselves can gain an iron-clad belief in themselves that will never fail when it is most needed.

3. It helps you become more aware of your surroundings

Due to their highly developed sensory perception, sharks are always aware of what’s going on around them, and the shark totem can help you become more aware of your surroundings too.

For example, if people are talking about you behind your back or mean to do you harm, the shark totem can help activate your sixth sense and alert you to the danger before it’s too late.

4. It can help you be ruthless when necessary

Although sharks’ reputation as merciless, bloodthirsty monsters has been amplified and exaggerated by Hollywood movies, there’s no doubt that they can be ruthless killers when they need to be.

There are times in life when we need to be ruthless too, and the shark totem can help us harden our hearts and do what needs to be done when there is no room for compassion or sentimentality.

Shark Omens

Finally, when sharks appear to us in our dreams or even in reality, they can bring important and powerful messages that shouldn’t be ignored.

Here are some of the most common ways to interpret being visited by a shark.

1. You are feeling vulnerable

Swimming on the surface of the sea when you don’t know what’s lurking beneath the waves can leave you feeling extremely vulnerable, and having such a dream, particularly one that involves sharks or the feeling that you are surrounded by sharks can be unnerving.

Such a dream will often mean that you are feeling nervous or vulnerable about something in your life, so you should spend time in deep thought and meditation to try to discover what it is that is making you feel this way.

This way, you will then be able to work out what you can do to deal with the anxiety or the feeling of vulnerability to help you feel safer and more secure.

2. Somebody is hiding their true intentions

Perhaps a dream of sharks – or otherwise seeing sharks in your life – could mean that somebody close to you is hiding their true intentions.

They are circling you out of sight beneath the waters waiting for the right moment to strike, so this kind of premonition should put you on your guard.

3. You have suppressed feelings or emotions

Sharks swimming below the surface can also represent suppressed emotions or trauma that you lived through but still haven’t processed properly.

Such a dream can be an important message that these suppressed emotions are making their way up to the surface, so you need to find out what they are and deal with them properly on your own terms.

If you don’t do this, they might burst through at the worst possible time, and this could end up being harmful to you and those around you.

4. You possess great power

A more positive message that the shark can bring is that you possess great power.

Perhaps you are unaware of it, or maybe you are wavering in your self-assuredness – and at such times, the shark can appear to remind you of the power and inner strength that you possess.

A powerful ally for those who can control it

The shark spirit animal is a bold choice, and it’s not the right option for everyone. However, if the shark resonates strongly with you – and you think you have the strength of mind and the right character to control it – the shark spirit animal can be a powerful ally in many areas of life.