Have you noticed that many autistic people love sharks and either know a lot about these creatures or in some way, express their interest such as collecting all sorts of shark themed paraphernalia?
Now, when I was 12 I developed an intense interest in sharks – primarily that of attacks on people, as well as the movie “Jaws.”
These days, it’s a lot easier to get a feel for just how popular sharks are among those on the Spectrum as well as among neurotypical individuals.
This is due to clearly seeing the popularity of sharks on YouTube videos (the number of videos about sharks seems endless), not to mention the massive number of views that so many shark related videos get – including those of attacks on people caught on video.
Someone on Reddit asked in an autism subreddit if sharks were a popular special interest among autistic people. See the screenshot below.
I don’t regularly participate in autism subreddits, so I can’t say just how often the topic of sharks comes up.
And even if they do come up, this doesn’t mean it’s a special interest among the autistic poster.
Nevertheless, it’s definitely fair to wonder how many Autistics have a shark hyperfixation.
Many shark enthusiasts, along with professional shark experts, are neurotypical – at least they seem that way and have not disclosed an ASD diagnosis.
But certainly, there are those with autism who are obsessed with sharks and have expert-level knowledge of them despite never having had formal experience or training in shark science.
Sharks Are More Popular than Ever
©Lorra Garrick
Sharks were made popular after “Jaws” came out.
The popularity has increased dramatically since the slew of shark movies that came out in the 2000’s, and YouTube has helped fuel this worldwide popularity.
There’s a Lot of People on this Planet
As of 2025, the global population is estimated to be around eight billion, including all ages.
People over 18 comprise about 75% of the total population.
This means there are approximately six billion adults on this planet.
And that means a lot of people are autistic – in terms of absolute numbers.
A 2024 study published in The Lancet Psychiatry estimated that worldwide, approximately one in 127 individuals were autistic in 2021.
This suggests that there are about 62 million people on the Autism Spectrum.
So out of tens of millions of autistic people, certainly some are intensely fascinated by sharks, as is many people in the neurotypical population.
This seems to be the best explanation for why you may have encountered quite a few Autists with a deep interest in sharks.
Have you also encountered a number of neurotypicals with a strong interest in sharks?
Sharks are so popular in this day and age that it’s likely that everyone knows at least a few people who love these wondrous creatures of the ocean.
Whatever is wildly popular among neurotypicals will also be relatively popular among Autistics too, including trains and dinosaurs!
Lorra Garrick is a former personal trainer certified by the American Council on Exercise. At Bally Total Fitness, where she was also a group fitness instructor, she trained clients of all ages for fat loss and maintaining it, muscle and strength building, fitness, and improved cardiovascular and overall health. She has a clinical diagnosis of ASD.
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