The Incredible Video of a Whale Swallowing a Kayak and Its Paddler

A breathtaking adventure in the crystal-clear waters of Chilean Patagonia turned into a close encounter with one of the giants of the sea. A story that seems straight out of an adventure book, yet it truly happened!

A young kayaker was briefly swallowed by a humpback whale in the waters of Chilean Patagonia, only to be spat out unharmed. The episode, captured on video by the young man's father, went viral, showing the whale clearly engulfing the kayak and sparking disbelief and curiosity.

Last Saturday, Adrian Simancas, 24, and his father Dell were kayaking in the Strait of Magellan, near the San Isidro Lighthouse in Chile, on a trekking and packraft excursion. While Adrian paddled solo, a humpback whale suddenly emerged from the water, swallowing him and his kayak for a few moments. His father, who was just a few meters away, recorded the scene on his cellphone while trying to remain calm.

"I thought I was going to die," Adrian told CNN. "I felt something slimy and meaty brush against my face, a blue and white mass pulling me down. I didn't understand what was happening; I thought I was being eaten." The man described those moments of sheer terror when he found himself face to face with the humpback whale. An experience that, despite the initial fear, turned into a moment of deep connection with nature.

In the video, Dell Simancas is heard yelling to his son to stay calm: "Stay calm, stay calm." After a few moments, the whale released Adrian, who resurfaced thanks to his life jacket and clung to his father's kayak.

"When I resurfaced, the real fear came afterward," Adrian explained. "I was afraid that the whale might harm my father or that we wouldn't make it to shore in time." Despite the terror, both managed to reach the shore without further issues.

The Strait of Magellan is one of the main tourist attractions in Chilean Patagonia, known for its frigid waters and spectacular views. Even in summer, temperatures range from 4 to 20 degrees Celsius, making accidental submersion potentially dangerous due to hypothermia.

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Let's start with the answer: no, they are not dangerous to humans. The cetacean, which can exceed 16 meters in length and weigh over 30 tons, was likely feeding using the "lunge feeding" technique, where the animal opens its mouth to swallow large quantities of krill and small fish. The episode was therefore entirely accidental. After all, whales are by nature completely peaceful and do not intentionally attack humans, who are not part of their diet.

The incident involving Adrian Simancas will remain in many people's memories: an adventure that seems torn from a fairy tale or generated by artificial intelligence (as many have speculated online and on social media), but which truly occurred in the pristine waters of Chilean Patagonia.

An experience, however, that reminds us of the importance of respecting nature and how magical encounters with the giants of the sea can be, even when unplanned.

Here's the video, from the WSJ YouTube profile, of the whale swallowing the kayak and its occupant: