A remarkable incident occurred in the waters of Chilean Patagonia, where a young man kayaking was briefly swallowed by a humpback whale. The whale spat him out unharmed after just three seconds. The entire event was captured on video by the kayaker's father and has since gone viral on social media.
According to the Associated Press, Adrián Simancas was kayaking with his father, Dell, in the Strait of Magellan in southern Chile on February 8 when a humpback whale surfaced. The whale opened its mouth and engulfed Adrián along with his yellow kayak, only to release him moments later.
Simancas recounted his experience, stating, "I thought I was dead. I thought it had eaten me, that it had swallowed me". He added that his real fear began after resurfacing, as he worried about the whale harming his father, Dell, or about perishing in the frigid waters. "When I came up and started floating, I was scared that something might happen to my father, too, that we wouldn't reach the shore in time, or that I would get hypothermia," Adrián explained.
Dell, who was just a few meters away, remained calm despite witnessing the event. He reassured Adrián and quickly helped him back onto the kayak as he swam towards it. Despite the initial shock and fear, both father and son returned to shore safely.
The Strait of Magellan, located approximately 2,600 kilometers south of Santiago, Chile's capital, is a major tourist destination in the Patagonia region, known for its nature and adventure activities. However, its icy waters pose a challenge for sailors, swimmers, and explorers attempting to cross it. Although it is currently summer in the Southern Hemisphere, local temperatures remain cool, with lows of 4 degrees Celsius and highs rarely exceeding 20 degrees Celsius.
Whale attacks on humans are extremely rare in Chilean waters. However, the number of whale deaths caused by collisions with cargo ships has increased in recent years, and strandings have become a recurring problem over the past decade.
A humpback whale briefly swallowed a kayaker off Chilean Patagonia before quickly releasing him unharmed. pic.twitter.com/DnbbT4Di7I
— The Associated Press (@AP) 2025å¹´2月13æ—¥
