Fact beats fiction: A humpback whale briefly swallows a Venezuelan kayaker in Chilean Patagonia while his father videotapes him
Dramatic footage of a kayaker being momentarily swallowed by a large whale has gone viral on social media.
A stunning video captured in the Strait of Magellan, Chile, shows the moment a humpback whale unexpectedly surfaced and briefly swallowed Adrián Simancas, a young Venezuelan kayaker.
Whale engulfs kayaker... but releases him seconds later
The incident occurred on February 8 in El Águila Bay, near the San Isidro Lighthouse, as 24-year-old Adrián was exploring the area together with his father, Dell Simancas, a 49-year-old anesthesiologist.
As the young man paddled in his kayak, the whale emerged from the depths and, in a split second, took him into its mouth before quickly letting him go.
Footage recorded by Dell shows the large whale’s movement creating a whirlpool of water as the kayaker momentarily disappears from view.
Seconds later, the whale spits Adrián back out onto the water’s surface, leaving him unharmed but visibly shaken.
A humpback whale briefly swallowed a kayaker off Chilean Patagonia before quickly releasing him unharmed. pic.twitter.com/DnbbT4Di7I
— The Associated Press (@AP) February 13, 2025
The video swiftly went viral on social media, with many users likening the scene to the stuff of fiction.
However, experts have noted that such incidents, while extremely rare, can occur when a whale is filter-feeding and accidentally traps nearby objects or animals.
“Incredible and terrifying”
“At first I thought I was dead,” Adrián told an interview with the Associated Press. “So, of course, I was absolutely petrified - I thought there was nothing I could do.”
But far from being deterred from the sea, he has said he will continue exploring, albeit with more caution.
Speaking after the incident, Dell said: “It was an incredible and, at the same time, terrifying experience.”
Article originally written in Spanish, before being translated with the assistance of AI, and edited and expanded by William Allen.
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