Adrián Simancas, a 23-year-old Venezuelan kayaker, recently exchanged an ordinary day on the water for a surreal encounter in the Strait of Magellan, close to Chile’s southern coast. Paddling with his father, Dall, a sudden and unexpected brush with a massive creature turned their outing into an extraordinary survival story.
The startling moment came when Adrián suddenly felt a forceful impact from behind. "It hit me from behind, closing in on me and sinking me," he recounted, vividly remembering the feeling of slimy textures against his face as he realized he was in the mouth of a whale. Initially bewildered, he toyed with various thoughts in his mind, even imagining himself surviving in a manner reminiscent of "Pinocchio" before the humpback whale spat him out.
Caught on camera by his father, the astonishing event unfolded just moments after they crossed Eagle Bay. Moments later, Dall found himself frantically searching for Adrián, only to see his son emerge from the water unharmed. Adrián described his fear of holding his breath as he floated back to the surface, his ordeal lasting only seconds.
Once safe, he was left shocked not only by the experience but also by the massive size of the whale, a fact revealed to him via his father’s recorded footage. “If I had seen it earlier, it would have scared me even more,” he admitted. Reflecting on his lucky escape, he felt it was a "second chance" and a valuable lesson in appreciating life.
According to experts, the whale’s accidental engulfment of the kayak was attributed to its narrow throat, which cannot accommodate large objects like kayaks. Brazilian conservationist Roched Jacobson Seba noted that humpback whales primarily consume small fish and shrimp while feeding, which clarifies how Adrián came to be swallowed on what seemed like a whimsical accident. He emphasized the importance of avoiding silent vessels in whale-inhabited waters to minimize such unexpected encounters.
This thrilling tale is a potent reminder of the unpredictable beauty of nature as well as the human spirit’s resilience in the face of danger.
