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A 24-year-old man was kayaking with his father in Bahia El Aguila, Chile, when a humpback whale gobbled up his yellow boat before miraculously spitting him out. A terrifying video showing the giant mammal momentarily swallowing Adrian Simancas before releasing him unharmed surfaced on social media.
The incident took place on Saturday near the San Isidro Lighthouse in the Strait of Magellan in Chile's southernmost Patagonia region.
The video, recorded by his father, Dell, from another kayak, shows Mr Dell mistaking the approaching whale for "pretty waves." He is later seen trying to calm his son after the whale releases him within seconds. He can be heard saying, "Stay calm, stay calm."
Adrian Simancas, 24, was briefly swallowed by a humpback whale while kayaking with his father, Dell, off Punta Arenas, Chile. The whale emerged from the water, engulfing Adrian & his kayak. He was then spat out back into the sea
📣Not sure why, but this reminds me of my wife… pic.twitter.com/qdoKdVYPbh
— True Crime Updates (@TrueCrimeUpdat) February 13, 2025
Speaking about the incident to CNN, he described how he felt a slimy texture on his face when he turned around and saw dark blue and white colours approaching from behind before he was pulled underwater. In that moment, he believed there was nothing he could do and feared he was going to die, without knowing what had happened.
"I thought it had already eaten me and swallowed me," he said. However, he soon felt his life vest pulling him back up, and within seconds, he surfaced and began to understand the situation.
Mr Simancas recalled that as he surfaced and began floating, he worried that something might happen to his father, that they wouldn't reach the shore in time, or that he might develop hypothermia. However, both the father and the son managed to get to shore safely after the incident.
When asked if they would go kayaking again, both father and son responded without hesitation, "Of course."
A similar incident occurred in November 2020 when a humpback whale nearly swallowed two kayakers off a California beach. The kayakers were observing the whales feeding on silverfish when one suddenly surfaced underneath their kayak, capsizing it and briefly swallowing them before they escaped unharmed.