[Watch] Humpback Whale Engulfs Kayaker, Spits Him Out Seconds Later

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  • Humpback whale briefly swallowed a kayaker in Chilean Patagonia before spitting him out unharmed.
  • The incident was caught on video by the kayaker’s father, who remained calm while filming.
  • Kayaker feared for his life and worried about hypothermia and his father’s safety.

In a terrifying yet miraculous encounter, a humpback whale briefly swallowed kayaker Adrián Simancas before releasing him unharmed in the Strait of Magellan, Chilean Patagonia, reports CBS News.

Whale Swallows Kayaker in Chile—Then Spits Him Out

The incident, caught on camera, quickly went viral. Adrián, who was kayaking with his father Dell Simancas, disappeared into the whale’s mouth for a few seconds before resurfacing in the frigid waters.

“I thought I was dead,” Adrián told the Associated Press. “I thought it had eaten me.”

Father Films the Dramatic Moment

While Adrián panicked inside the whale’s mouth, his father—just meters away—managed to stay focused, capturing the shocking moment on video while urging his son to stay calm.

“Stay calm, stay calm,” Dell can be heard saying after Adrián reappears.

After regaining his bearings, Adrián swam to his father’s kayak and was quickly assisted. Despite the ordeal, both returned to shore safely.

Chile’s Strait of Magellan: A Risky Adventure Spot

Located 1,600 miles south of Santiago, the Strait of Magellan is a popular adventure tourism hotspot but presents dangerous challenges, including:

  1. Frigid waters, with temperatures dropping to 39°F even in summer.
  2. Rough conditions for sailors, kayakers, and explorers.
  3. Rare whale encounters, though collisions with cargo ships have increased in recent years.

“When I came up and started floating, I was scared that something might happen to my father too,” Adrián recalled.

Other Rare Whale Incidents

Though whale attacks on humans are rare, this is not the first dramatic encounter:

  1. 2024: A whale capsized a boat off New Hampshire, sending two men into the ocean.
  2. 2020: Two women were briefly in a humpback whale’s mouth off Avila Beach, California, before their life jackets saved them.

“Because we had our life jackets on, as soon as the whale let us out, we popped up to the surface,” said survivor Julie McSorley.

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Source: CBS News