In February 2025, a humpback whale off the coast of Chilean Patagonia briefly engulfed a kayaker, sending a video around the world. The footage looked like a nightmare — but the reality, as marine biologists explain, is that the whale’s throat is far too small to actually swallow a human.
Incident date: February 2025 ·
Location: Chilean Patagonia ·
Victim: Adrián Simancas ·
Duration inside whale: A few seconds
Quick snapshot
- Throat diameter: ~30–40 cm (National Geographic)
- Baleen plates, no teeth (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
- Cannot swallow large objects (National Geographic)
- 0–5 seconds: engulfed and released (VOA News)
- Immediate release by whale (VOA News)
- No injuries (VOA News)
- Footage captured on kayak (VOA News)
- Uploaded to YouTube (YouTube)
- Location: Bahia El Aguila, Strait of Magellan (VOA News)
The table below summarizes the confirmed details of the February 2025 incident that stunned viewers worldwide.
| Date of incident | February 2025 (VOA News) |
|---|---|
| Location | Chilean Patagonia, near Punta Arenas (VOA News) |
| Victim name | Adrián Simancas (VOA News) |
| Whale species | Humpback (Megaptera novaeangliae) (Encyclopaedia Britannica) |
| Duration inside whale | Approximately 2–3 seconds (VOA News) |
| Injuries | None reported (VOA News) |
| Whale throat diameter | ~30–40 cm (too small for a human) (National Geographic) |
Why Did a Humpback Whale Engulf a Kayaker in Chile?
What triggered the incident?
- The whale was lunge‑feeding on fish near the surface. Humpbacks feed on krill and small schooling fish (Encyclopaedia Britannica).
- The kayaker, Adrián Simancas, was paddling in the feeding zone at Bahia El Aguila (VOA News).
Why did the whale release the kayaker?
- The whale’s throat is far too narrow to swallow a human-sized object (National Geographic).
- The whale immediately opened its mouth and let go, a reflex consistent with a mistaken engulfment (VOA News).
For the whale, it was an accidental mouthful, not a meal. The kayaker’s survival depended on the very anatomy that made the headlines misleading.
The implication: the term “swallowed” is a misnomer. The whale never intended to eat the kayaker.
Can a Humpback Whale Actually Swallow a Human?
What is the size of a humpback whale’s throat?
- Throat diameter: ~30–40 cm, about the size of a human fist (National Geographic).
How does it compare to a human’s size?
- Human shoulder width is far larger than the whale’s throat.
- The throat can only pass objects the size of a grapefruit (National Geographic).
If a humpback’s throat were large enough to swallow a human, the whale would need to feed on much larger prey, which it doesn’t.
The pattern: Humpbacks are built for filter feeding, not for swallowing large prey. Their anatomy is a perfect mismatch for a human-sized mouthful.
Which Whale Is Capable of Swallowing a Human?
Which whale species have the largest throats?
- Among all whales, the sperm whale has the largest esophagus, potentially wide enough to pass a human-sized object (Encyclopaedia Britannica).
- Baleen whales, including humpbacks, have throats far smaller than their mouths (National Geographic).
Could a sperm whale swallow a human?
- Theoretically, a sperm whale’s throat is large enough, but no verified cases exist of a sperm whale swallowing a person (VOA News).
- Sperm whales feed on squid and fish, not humans (Encyclopaedia Britannica).
Even for sperm whales, swallowing a human is not a feeding strategy — it would be an accident at most.
The implication: no whale species actively hunts humans, and only one species has the anatomy to attempt it.
How Long Can You Survive if a Whale Swallowed You?
What happens inside a whale?
- Inside a baleen whale, you would be in the mouth, not the stomach, because the throat is too narrow (National Geographic).
- If fully swallowed by a sperm whale, stomach acid and lack of oxygen would cause death quickly (Encyclopaedia Britannica).
Has anyone survived being swallowed?
- No verified case exists of a human surviving inside any whale species (VOA News).
- The biblical story of Jonah is a religious parable, not a historical account (Encyclopaedia Britannica).
Survival time in a whale’s stomach would be measured in minutes, not hours. The kayaker’s escape was possible only because he was never truly swallowed.
The pattern: every tale of human survival inside a whale is either mythological or misreported.
What Does the Viral Video Show?
What does the video show?
- Dell Simancas filmed from just meters away as the whale surfaced and engulfed his son’s kayak (VOA News).
How was the incident confirmed?
- The clip was uploaded to YouTube on February 13, 2025, and quickly went viral (YouTube).
- It shows the kayaker disappearing and reappearing seconds later, unharmed (VOA News).
The video’s visual drama leads many to believe the kayaker was swallowed whole, but the whale’s anatomy tells a different story.
What this means: The video is a true record of a rare encounter, but the narrative around it exaggerates the danger.
Where Did the Incident Take Place?
Location details
- Bahia El Aguila near San Isidro Lighthouse in the Strait of Magellan, Chilean Patagonia (VOA News).
- This area is a known habitat for humpback whales, especially during feeding seasons (WWF Chile).
The trade-off: Patagonia’s rich marine life attracts whales and kayakers alike, increasing the chance of close encounters.
How Do Humpback Whales Feed and Hunt?
Feeding method
- Humpbacks are baleen whales that use baleen plates to filter krill and small fish from water (Encyclopaedia Britannica).
- They perform lunge feeding, opening their mouths wide to engulf water and prey (Encyclopaedia Britannica).
The same mouth that can engulf a kayak cannot swallow a human because baleen whales rely on filtering, not swallowing large items.
The implication: Understanding feeding behavior explains why the whale’s mouth closed and opened so quickly — it was a feeding reflex, not a predatory attack.
Timeline Signal
- : Humpback whale briefly engulfs kayaker Adrián Simancas off Chilean Patagonia; video goes viral (VOA News).
What’s Confirmed and What’s Unclear
Confirmed facts
- The February 2025 incident happened and was captured on video (VOA News).
- Humpback whales cannot physically swallow a human due to throat size (National Geographic).
- The whale released the kayaker immediately (VOA News).
What’s unclear
- Whether any whale species has ever intentionally swallowed a human.
- The exact number of similar unreported incidents.
- The authenticity of historical accounts of humans surviving inside a whale.
Quotes from the Incident
Humpbacks can have mouths large enough to engulf a kayak, but their esophagus is far too small for a human-sized object.
— National Geographic (source)
The whale engulfed Adrian and his yellow kayak for only a few seconds before letting him go.
— VOA News (source)
What’s Next for Kayakers in Whale-Rich Waters
For kayakers in whale-rich waters, the lesson is clear: respect the feeding zone. The humpback whale’s anatomy makes human ingestion impossible, but a close encounter is still a reminder of how powerful these creatures are. Safety means keeping distance and understanding the wildlife. The key is to paddle in groups and stay alert in areas known for feeding activity.
For those interested in seeing humpback whales up close, Hervey Bay whale watching offers a safe and popular alternative to the dangerous encounter experienced by the kayaker in Chile.
Frequently asked questions
What’s the biggest thing a humpback whale can swallow?
A humpback’s throat is about the size of a human fist, so it can only swallow small fish and krill. It cannot swallow any object larger than a grapefruit (National Geographic).
Are whales friendly to humans?
Generally, humpback whales are not aggressive toward humans. They are curious but often avoid close contact. The incident was accidental, not an attack (Encyclopaedia Britannica).
Who was the man that got swallowed by a whale in the Bible?
The story of Jonah being swallowed by a “great fish” is a religious parable, not a historical account. No scientific evidence supports a person surviving inside a whale.
Was there a documented case of a girl being swallowed by a whale in 2010?
No. A false story about a girl swallowed by a whale circulated online in 2010 and was quickly debunked.
What should you do if a whale approaches your kayak?
Stay calm, avoid sudden movements, and paddle away slowly. Do not chase or block the whale. Give it plenty of space (WWF Chile).
Have there been other similar incidents of whales swallowing kayakers?
This is the first widely reported case of a humpback whale engulfing a kayaker. No other verified incidents exist (VOA News).
Freddie Harry Cooper Bennett is a staff writer for DailyPressUK.co.uk, covering UK news, politics, business and culture. He works under Editor-in-Chief Jonathan Whitmore and UK Managing Editor Eleanor Grant, following the newsroom standards for sourcing, verification and fact-checking set out in our editorial policies.