A kayaker in Chile’s Patagonia region experienced a terrifying and miraculous moment when a humpback whale briefly swallowed him and his kayak, only to spit him out moments later. The incident unfolded in the Strait of Magellan with 24-year-old Adrian Simancas kayaking alongside his father, Dell.
As Adrian paddled through the waters, the enormous whale unexpectedly emerged and engulfed both him and his yellow kayak. His father, trailing behind, unintentionally captured the shocking moment on video.
Adrian, initially fearing for his life, later recalled, “I thought he’d swallowed me!” He experienced a wave of terror, convinced that there was no way out. Fortunately, after a few tense seconds, the whale released him, and he resurfaced, shaken but unharmed. His father, captured on video, can be heard urging him to remain calm.
However, Adrian’s anxiety soon shifted to worry for his father’s safety, especially as they faced the risk of hypothermia from the freezing waters. The viral video shows Adrian swimming towards his father’s kayak, and the two eventually reached shore safely. Adrian’s father admitted his only moment of panic was when he briefly lost sight of his son after the whale submerged.
Marine experts believe the whale was likely feeding and did not notice the kayak in its path. Since humpback whales have small throats, swallowing a human is virtually impossible. Marine biologist Maria Jose Perez of the University of Chile explained that the kayak was likely in the whale’s feeding area, which includes krill or fish. These rare incidents have occurred in other encounters with quiet vessels like kayaks.
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