Kayaker Adrian Simancas was briefly swallowed by a humpback whale along the Strait of Magellan across Chile’s southernmost Patagonia region last February 15.
In a video captured by Simanca’s father, Dell, the whale’s mouth surfaced on the water within the exact spot where the 24-year-old kayaker was located. In an interview with CNN, Simanca narrated that he initially felt that there was a big and heavy wave that struck him from behind, oblivious of the fact that it was a humongous whale.
“I saw some blue dark colors and white flashing right through my face, and I felt a slimy texture in my cheek,” Simancas recounted. At that moment, he thought that he would fall into his demise, “I thought there’s nothing I can do if I’m inside the mouth of a giant fish.”
A few seconds later, Simancas was eventually spat out by the whale and that was the same moment he caught a clear visual of the mammal. His father recalled that it took three seconds for him to see his son again on the water’s surface followed by his pack raft. The whale’s fin became visible as it plunged back into the rough waters. Simanca’s father was washed over with relief upon seeing his son who remained conscious as he swam back to his fathers raft.
It was a relief that Simanca was spat out of the whale and is in a stable condition at present. Whales do not prey on humans as per their biological nature. Most whale species are dubbed “gentle giants” as they only consume krill, planktons, and small fishes, due to their lack of sharp teeth and narrow throats the size of a human’s fist.
Most human interactions with whales are rather peaceful and driven by the mammal’s curiosity. According to a wildlife scientist, Vanessa Pirotta, the whale did not intentionally swallow Simanca. It was perhaps a coincidence that the whale was feeding on small fishes right beneath where Simanca was located, and he was accidentally taken inside its mouth.
Social media users even compared the viral video to the story of prophet Jonah from the Bible where he was also swallowed by a whale, but he was eventually spat out alive after three long days.
A similar incident was recorded back in 2021 where a lobster diver was briefly swallowed by a humpback whale but came out unharmed and safe. These incidents proved that whales should not be feared as much as they do not intend to eat or harm humans.
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