Home Washington Home&Living A kayaker in Chilean Patagonia is momentarily engulfed by a humpback whale, with the incident recorded on video.

A kayaker in Chilean Patagonia is momentarily engulfed by a humpback whale, with the incident recorded on video.

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PUNTA ARENAS, Chile — In an astonishing event off the coast of Chilean Patagonia, a humpback whale briefly swallowed a kayaker before promptly releasing him without injury. The remarkable incident was captured on video and quickly gained widespread attention online.

On Saturday, Adrián Simancas was out kayaking with his father, Dell, in Bahía El Águila, located near the San Isidro Lighthouse along the Strait of Magellan. Suddenly, a humpback whale surfaced and engulfed Adrián along with his bright yellow kayak for a fleeting moment before letting him free.

Dell, who was just meters away, recorded the shocking encounter while urging his son to maintain his composure.

“Stay calm, stay calm,” he is heard instructing after Adrián was released from the whale’s mouth.

Reflecting on the experience, Adrián admitted to feeling a sense of impending doom. “I thought I was dead,” he recalled. “I thought it had eaten me, that it had swallowed me.” He reflected on the sheer terror he felt during those brief moments, explaining that his true anxiety hit him only once he surfaced, fearing not just for his own safety in the icy waters but also for his father’s well-being.

Meanwhile, Dell remained focused, ensuring he continued filming while simultaneously comforting his son, all the while grappling with his own concerns over the situation.

“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 expressed.

After a tense few moments, Adrián swam back to his father’s kayak, and they quickly assisted each other. Fortunately, both returned safely to the shore without physical harm.

The Strait of Magellan is a significant draw for tourists in Chilean Patagonia, located approximately 1,600 miles (3,000 kilometers) south of Santiago, the country’s capital, offering a variety of adventure activities. However, the area’s frigid waters present challenges for sailors, swimmers, and explorers navigating its vast expanse.

Even in the Southern Hemisphere’s summer, temperatures in this region remain brisk, with lows dipping to about 39 degrees Fahrenheit (4 degrees Celsius) and highs seldom reaching 68 degrees Fahrenheit (20 degrees Celsius). While encounters between whales and humans are exceedingly rare in Chilean waters, there has been a concerning trend of whale fatalities due to collisions with cargo ships and recurring stranding incidents over the past decade.