A terrifying encounter unfolded in Bahia El Aguila, Chile, when a 24-year-old kayaker was briefly swallowed by a humpback whale before being miraculously spat out. The dramatic moment was captured on video by his father, Dell, and has since gone viral on social media.
A Close Call in the Waters of Patagonia
The incident occurred on Saturday near the San Isidro Lighthouse in the Strait of Magellan, located in Chile’s remote Patagonia region. Dell, who was recording from a nearby kayak, initially mistook the approaching whale for “pretty waves.” Moments later, after the whale released his son, he was heard reassuring him, saying, “Stay calm, stay calm.”
Speaking to CNN, Adrian Simancas described the terrifying moment when he felt a slimy texture on his face and saw dark blue and white colors rushing toward him. Suddenly, he was pulled underwater. "I thought it had already eaten me and swallowed me," he recalled. However, within seconds, his life vest pulled him back to the surface, and he began to comprehend what had happened.
Fear and Survival
After resurfacing, Simancas worried about his father’s safety, the possibility of not reaching shore in time, and the risk of hypothermia. Despite the harrowing experience, both father and son made it back to shore safely.
When asked if they would go kayaking again, they answered without hesitation: "Of course."
Not the First Time
A similar incident occurred in November 2020 off a California beach, where a humpback whale nearly swallowed two kayakers while they observed the giant mammals feeding. The whale surfaced beneath their kayak, capsizing it and briefly engulfing them before they escaped unharmed.
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