Swallowed, Spit Out By Whale, Kayaker Shares What It Felt Like Inside

Adrian Simancas was kayaking with his father in the Strait of Magellan in Chile when a Humpback whale swallowed him, along with his boat, before miraculously spitting him out a few seconds later, a video showed.

The incident took place on Saturday near the San Isidro Lighthouse in the Strait of Magellan in Chile's southernmost Patagonia region.

The 24-year-old was unharmed in the entire episode but he said he thought he was "going to die". The video was shot by his father Dell, from another kayak.

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

Simancas told CNN how he felt when the whale swallowed him for a few seconds and he thought he was "going to die". 

"I 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. At that moment, he believed there was nothing he could do and feared he was going to die, without knowing what had happened," he said.

"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.

His father tried to calm him down when was back on the surface and was heard saying, "Stay calm, stay calm."

Simancas said 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.