PUNTA ARENAS, Chile — In a remarkable turn of events, a humpback whale briefly engulfed a kayaker off the coast of Chilean Patagonia before promptly releasing him without injury. This extraordinary encounter, which was filmed, has quickly gained significant attention online.
On Saturday, Adrián Simancas was out kayaking with his father, Dell, in the serene Bahía El Águila, located near the San Isidro Lighthouse in the Strait of Magellan. During their outing, a humpback whale surfaced unexpectedly, swallowing Adrián along with his bright yellow kayak for a fleeting moment before spitting him out.
Dell, just a short distance away, managed to capture the incredible moment on tape while encouraging his son to maintain his composure amidst the startling experience. “Stay calm, stay calm,” could be heard as he urged Adrián shortly after he was released from the whale’s mouth.
Thinking back on the incident, Adrián expressed feelings of sheer terror, stating, “I thought I was dead. I believed it had eaten me, that it had swallowed me.” He reflected on the anxiety he felt, which truly set in as he resurfaced, worrying not only about his own safety but also his father’s well-being in the icy waters.
Despite the unnerving encounter, Dell kept a clear focus, recording the incident while reassuring his son, all the while coping with his own concerns. Adrián recalled, “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.”
Following a few tense moments in the water, Adrián swam his way back to his father’s kayak, where he received immediate support. Remarkably, both father and son returned to land unscathed despite the shocking ordeal.
Situated approximately 1,600 miles (3,000 kilometers) south of Santiago, Chile’s capital, the Strait of Magellan serves as a significant tourist hotspot, particularly for adventure seekers in Chilean Patagonia. Although it’s summertime in the Southern Hemisphere, temperatures here remain relatively cool, often dipping to 39 degrees Fahrenheit (4 degrees Celsius) at their lowest, with highs typically not surpassing 68 degrees Fahrenheit (20 degrees Celsius).
While incidents of whales attacking humans in Chilean waters are exceedingly rare, there has been a troubling rise in whale fatalities due to collisions with commercial vessels in recent years. Additionally, whale strandings have become a common concern over the past decade.
