Photo: Paul Souders / The Image Bank Unreleased / Getty Images
In a remarkable incident off Chilean Patagonia, a humpback whale briefly swallowed a kayaker before releasing him unharmed. The event occurred last Saturday (February 8) near the San Isidro Lighthouse in the Strait of Magellan, a popular spot for adventure activities. Adrián Simancas was kayaking with his father, Dell when the whale surfaced and engulfed Adrián and his yellow kayak for a few seconds. The incident was captured on video by Dell, who was just a few feet away and encouraged his son to stay calm.
Adrián described the moment as terrifying, with real fear setting in only after resurfacing, worried about the whale harming his father or the risk of hypothermia in the frigid waters.
“I thought I was dead,” Adrián told The Associated Press. “I thought it had eaten me, that it had swallowed me.”
After Adrián was spit out, his father paddled over while telling him to stay calm. He then helped his son paddle back to shore. Miraculously, Adrián was not injured during the terrifying experience.
