In a remarkable incident off the coast of Patagonia, Chile, 23-year-old Adrián Simancas was swept up by a breaching humpback whale while packrafting with his father, Dell. The stunning encounter unfolded near the San Isidro Lighthouse and the idyllic Bahía El Águila, a picturesque spot teeming with wildlife including whales, sea lions, and black eagles.
As they paddled through the turbulent waters, Adrián suddenly felt a tremendous force from behind. Within an instant, a massive humpback whale lunged from below, capturing him in its open mouth. "I felt something hit me from behind. Suddenly, I was enveloped by something dark blue or white, and then I felt a slimy texture brush against my face," he recounted in an interview.
Just as quickly as it happened, Adrián found himself floating back to the surface, his inflatable raft bobbing nearby. The whale, almost twice his size, briefly revealed its dark back before vanishing into the depths of the ocean. In a unbelievable turn of events, the young adventurer found himself unharmed and buoyed by his life jacket after having felt as though he had been 'eaten.'
His father captured the whole surreal moment on video, adding an extraordinary layer to an already unbelievable tale. "I closed my eyes, expecting an impact, but then I realized I was just surrounded by water," said Adrián, who could hardly process the moment he experienced.
Adrián and Dell had set out for a peaceful day on the water in their inflatable craft, little anticipating the unexpected encounter that would transform their adventure into a once-in-a-lifetime survival story.
