Young Venezuelan Survives Brief Encounter Inside a Whale

A 24-year-old Venezuelan, Adrián Simancas, had an extraordinary and terrifying encounter while kayaking in the waters of southern Chile: a humpback whale briefly swallowed him before releasing him back to the surface. "I thought I was going to die," confessed the young IT technician and musician, recounting the incredible incident that took place over the weekend. This event has captured global attention, appearing in numerous media outlets and online platforms.

On Saturday, Adrián was navigating a packraft—an inflatable boat designed for exploring remote waters—with his father, Meydell Simancas, a 49-year-old anesthesiologist, in El Águila Bay near Punta Arenas, in the icy Strait of Magellan. This incident is reminiscent of the classic tale "The Adventures of Pinocchio," yet reality often surpasses fiction. The bewildering moment was caught on video by Adrián's father and has since gone viral on social media. Without this footage, the story might have been hard to believe.

As Adrián paddled, a massive whale suddenly emerged, engulfing him and the boat with its vast jaws. Moments later, they were forcefully expelled back into the sea. Despite being in shock, Adrián emerged unscathed. His father, initially facing away, feared the worst when he turned and found his son missing. Just three seconds later, he witnessed Adrián and the kayak being expelled to the surface, followed by a glimpse of the whale's body.

"Stay calm, grab the boat! Don’t get back on it!" his father shouted. Eventually, Adrián managed to reach the boat safely, albeit disoriented. Meanwhile, the whale continued to surface and dive nearby.

"I had never seen a whale before, but about half an hour earlier, I noticed water spouts in the distance," Adrián told CNN. He recalled feeling a powerful jolt from behind, initially thinking it was a wave, but it was too strong. "When I turned, I felt a slimy texture on my face, saw dark blue and white colors approaching, and then it closed around me and pulled me under. At that moment, I thought I was going to die because I had no idea what was happening."

Before the incident, Adrián and his father had speculated that there might be orcas or other large animals in the area. "It was just a moment of uncertainty," he revealed. "I thought I was eaten, swallowed whole..."

Originally from the Amazonas state in southern Venezuela, Adrián and his father have been living in Punta Arenas, Magallanes, near the southernmost tip of Chilean Patagonia, for seven years. Both enjoy kayaking and other outdoor activities, and despite this harrowing experience, they have no plans to abandon their aquatic adventures, as they told the Spanish newspaper El País.

Back in November 2020, a humpback whale similarly engulfed two young tourists kayaking in San Luis Obispo Bay, California, only to spit them out unharmed. That video also went viral. A comparable incident occurred in mid-2021 when a commercial lobster diver from Massachusetts claimed he was briefly swallowed by a humpback whale and lived to tell the tale.

The humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae), also known as the yubarta, is named for the arching shape it forms when diving. These massive cetaceans can weigh up to 48 tons. Females, significantly larger than males, can reach lengths of up to 62 feet, while males average about 49 feet. They primarily feed on krill, planktonic crustaceans, fish, and plankton. Due to their small throats, it's rare for them to pose a genuine threat to humans. They are known for their long migratory journeys across the world's oceans.