Awe was not something that would appear casually. If you saw a person on the street, would you be in awe of him? That's impossible. Do you have to be in awe of your superior? Not necessarily. You may be afraid of your boss because he is your leader. He can decide your future, but you may not respect him. You must respect him first, then fear. It is not easy to make an intelligent creature have such an emotion.
Those high-level sea beasts were all intelligent. There was awe in their eyes, which meant that there was something that made them respect and fear. Sea beasts rarely came into contact with people, and it could even be said that they had enmity. They would not respect and fear a person. It would only be another kind of sea beast.