As terrestrial beings, humans have little control when in ocean environments; most elements are in flux and without clear boundaries. For some ocean users, this uncontrollably is partly what draws them to the water. However, others feel this lack of control can be overwhelming and disruptive to their experience. Encounters with sharks reaffirm that lack of control, positively for some and unnervingly for others. This research used a combination of crowdsourced mapping and semi-structured interviews to collect a series of narratives concerning human-shark encounters on the south coast of New South Wales. Resonating with previous research, most human-shark encounters do not end in conflict, despite the prevailing negative media coverage. A key takeaway participants took from their shark encounters was the distinct lack of control they felt within the moment. For some, this feeling was something they realised during the encounter; for others, this realisation came upon reflection. These interactions demonstrate the emotional complexity of not only human-shark encounters but also how ocean-users interact with and perceive wider ocean environments. Future development of this research aims to make sense of this complexity and gain insight into how ocean-users reconcile their actions and emotions generated during unruly shark encounters.