Adrián Simancas, a 24-year-old Venezuelan who was kayaking in the waters of southern Chile, had an unusual and impressive experience and survived to tell the tale: a humpback whale emerged from the depths and engulfed him for a few seconds, only to later expel him back to the surface.
“I thought I was going to die”, declared the young IT technician and musician, recounting the astonishing episode he starred in over the weekend. Since then, it has become a global event and has appeared in numerous news outlets and digital platforms.
On Saturday, Adrián was on a journey in a packraft—an inflatable boat designed to explore southern waters—alongside his father, Meydell Simancas, a 49-year-old anesthesiologist, in the El Águila bay, in the Punta Arenas area, in the frigid Magellan Strait.
The incident brings to mind the scene from the classic tale The Adventures of Pinocchio, but reality often surpasses fiction, and the bewildering moment was captured in a video recorded by Adrián's father, which has since gone viral on social media. Had it not been caught on camera, perhaps no one would believe his story.
The young man was rowing in his packraft when, suddenly, a whale emerged from the water and, within seconds, it caught both him and the boat in its enormous jaws. Shortly after, it forcefully spat them out into the sea. Adrián managed to surface without any injuries, but in shock.
His father, who was facing away at the moment the young man was swallowed by the cetacean, feared the worst when he turned around and couldn't find him. But about three seconds later, he saw his son shoot up to the surface with the boat trailing behind him, and then he spotted part of the whale's body.
Then, he began to shout at him to come closer: “Calm down, grab the boat! Don't get on!” Until Adrián was able to reach his vessel safely and without incident, though disoriented. Meanwhile, nearby, the whale continued to surface and dive in the water.
"I had never seen a whale before, but thirty minutes earlier, I caught a glimpse of jets of water shooting up," he told CNN.
“When this encounter happened, I felt a hit coming from behind, which lifted me a little. I thought it could be a wave, but it was too strong,” they recalled. “Then, when I turned around, I felt a slimy texture on my face, I managed to see colors like dark blue, white, something approaching from behind that closed in on me and pulled me under. And at that moment, I thought I couldn’t do anything anymore, that I was going to die because I didn’t know what it was.”
Adrián mentioned that before the incident, he and his father had talked about the possibility of orcas or similar animals being in the area.
“It was a second in that uncertainty,” he revealed. “At that moment I thought it had consumed me, that it had swallowed me…”.
The young Adrián and his father are originally from the state of Amazonas, in southern Venezuela, and have been living in Punta Arenas, Magallanes, for seven years, near the southernmost tip of Chilean Patagonia. Both practice canoeing and other outdoor sports, and despite Adrián being swallowed by a huge sea creature, they have no intention of giving up their water adventures, they assured the Spanish newspaper El País.
In November 2020, a humpback whale swallowed two young tourists who were kayaking in San Luis Obispo Bay, California, and then spit them out unharmed. The video also went viral on social media.
In mid-2021, a similar event occurred when a commercial lobster diver from Massachusetts claimed he was swallowed by a whale, also humpback, and survived the incident.
The humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae), also known as yubarta (from the French jubarte, which comes from the Latin gibbus), gets its name from the curvature that forms on its back as it dives.
It is a large cetacean that can weigh up to 48 tons. The female, significantly larger than the male, can measure up to 19 meters in length, while the male typically reaches an average length of 15 meters.
It feeds on krill, planktonic crustaceans, fish, and plankton. Its throat is small, making it difficult for a human body to reach its stomach. It is not common for them to attack humans. It is one of the species that travels the greatest distances on the planet.
Frequently Asked Questions about the whale incident and safety in water activities
How did the whale incident with Adrián Simancas occur?
Adrián Simancas, a young Venezuelan, was swallowed by a humpback whale for a few seconds while kayaking in the Strait of Magellan, Chile. The whale caught him along with his kayak and quickly expelled him into the sea, leaving him unharmed. The incident was captured on video by his father and went viral on social media.
Is it common for humpback whales to attack humans?
It is not common for humpback whales to attack humans. They primarily feed on krill and small fish, and their throat is small, which makes it difficult for a person's body to reach their stomach. Encounters like the one with Adrián are extremely rare and usually accidental.
What precautions should be taken when kayaking in waters where whales are present?
To safely practice kayaking in areas where there are whales, it is advisable to maintain a safe distance, avoid making loud noises, and observe the whales from afar without interfering in their path. It is crucial to pay attention to signs of whale activity, such as water spouts on the surface.
What characteristics does the humpback whale have?
The humpback whale, also known as yubarta, can weigh up to 48 tons and measure up to 19 meters in length. It is known for its large size and the long migrations it undertakes across the world's oceans. It feeds on krill, planktonic crustaceans, and fish.
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