In a remarkable incident off the coast of Chilean Patagonia, a kayaker was briefly engulfed by a humpback whale before being released unharmed. Adrian Simancas was navigating the waters of the Strait of Magellan in Bahía El Águila last Saturday when the massive creature surfaced and momentarily swallowed him and his yellow kayak. The event was inadvertently filmed by his father, Dell, who was following closely behind.
Adrian recounted his terrifying experience to the Associated Press, stating that he initially believed he had been consumed by the whale. “I thought it had already eaten me and swallowed me,” he said. The young man admitted that his first thought was that he had met his end. He described the experience as terrifying, feeling helpless and fearing there was nothing he could do.
After being released from the whale’s mouth, his father can be heard on the video advising his son to remain calm. However, a new fear quickly took hold. Adrian expressed his concern about his father’s safety, the possibility of not reaching the shore in time, and the risk of hypothermia due to the cold water.
The video shows Adrian swimming towards his father’s kayak after being released by the whale. The pair managed to safely reach the shore. Adrian initially thought he had been swallowed by a killer whale, but upon his release, he speculated that the humpback whale might have approached him out of curiosity or perhaps to communicate something.
The Strait of Magellan, located 1,600 miles south of Chile’s capital, Santiago, is a popular destination for adventure-seeking tourists. While attacks on humans by whales are extremely rare, there has been a recent increase in incidents of whales colliding with cargo ships.