In a bizarre encounter, 23-year-old kayaker Adrián Simancas found himself inside the mouth of a humpback whale while kayaking with his father in the waters of the Strait of Magellan, located off the coast of Patagonia, Chile. The shocking moment led Adrián to initially think he might be facing a sea monster as he felt a slimy texture against his face.
“I spent a second realizing I was inside the mouth of something, that maybe it had eaten me,” he recounted. Adrián compared his thoughts to the classic tale of Pinocchio, envisioning how he might escape this predicament, as a wave of fear washed over him. After what felt like an eternity in the darkness, he suddenly felt himself rising back to the surface, realizing he had narrowly escaped being swallowed whole.
Just moments before the incident, Adrián’s father, Dall Simancas, captured the unforgettable experience on film from his nearby kayak. After hearing a loud crash, he turned to find his son missing. “I was worried for a second until I saw him coming up out of the sea,” he expressed, still in disbelief over the situation. The video captured the whale's considerable size, providing both a shocking and educational glimpse into the marine mammal's behavior during feeding.
Despite the terrifying encounter, Adrián felt gratitude for his unexpected "second chance" at life. He stated that the experience pushed him to reflect on personal growth and appreciation for the unique moments of life. Wildlife expert Roched Jacobson Seba explained the reason for the kayaker’s swift escape. Humpback whales have throats too narrow to swallow large objects and likely engulfed Adrián accidentally while feeding.
Seba emphasized the importance of using noise to signal the presence of humans in whale habitats. He warned that paddleboards and kayaks could easily be unnoticed in the water by such massive creatures, leading to dangerous encounters.
