Paddling through the buoyant waters of the Strait of Magellan, 23-year-old Adrián Simancas and his father, Dell, were exploring the stunning Patagonia landscape when a sudden and astonishing event unfolded. While navigating their portable packrafts—much lighter than traditional kayaks—a massive humpback whale lunged from the depths, seemingly swallowing Simancas whole.
In a shocking twist of fate, the exhilaration quickly morphed into disbelief as he described it saying, “I felt something hit me from behind...all this happened in a second...a slimy texture brushed my face.” The unexpected encounter transformed into what felt like a fleeting moment in the mouth of the whale, leaving Simancas in shock.
“In that instant, I thought I had been eaten,” he recounted in an interview shortly after the incident. To his relief, the life jacket buoyed him back to the surface within moments, along with his kayak-sized vessel. Just behind him, the majestic humpback breached the surface, revealing its enormous back before diving once more into the depths of the ocean.
Their adventure unfolded near the iconic San Isidro Lighthouse and the picturesque Bahía El Águila campground, an area renowned for its diverse wildlife, including sea lions and eagles. In an event that could be categorized as both a harrowing near-miss and a thrilling brush with nature, both Simancas and his father were left with an extraordinary story to tell and an unforgettable video recording of the heart-stopping incident.
