WATCH: Humpback Whale Swallows Kayaker Whole ...Then Spits Him Back Out
A kayaker cheated death on Saturday after a humpback whale swallowed him whole — then released him — off the coast of Patagonia.
Yes, he's a modern-day Jonah!
Adrián Simancas was kayaking with his father, Dell, in Chile's Bahía El Águila when a humpback whale surfaced, gobbling up Adrián and his yellow kayak for a few seconds before ultimately spitting him out. The whole terrifying incident was caught on video.
"Stay calm, stay calm," Dell can be heard saying after his son attempted to swim away from the massive animal.
After a few seconds in the water, the 24-year-old managed to reach his father’s kayak, and the two paddled to safety.
"I thought I was dead. I thought it had eaten me, that it had swallowed me," Adrián later told the Associated Press. "When I came up and started floating, I was scared that something might happen to my father, too, that we wouldn’t reach the shore in time, or that I would get hypothermia."
The incident occurred in the Strait of Magellan, a major attraction for tourists who enjoy wildlife viewing, cruises, hiking and, yes, kayaking. Located on the southern tip of South America, the waters here stay cold, with temperatures typically ranging from 39 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit.
Humpback whales use the Strait of Magellan as a feeding ground from November through April.
Humpback whales in the Southern Hemisphere can reach lengths of 60 feet and weigh up to 80,000 pounds.
(Getty Images)
It was a rough week at sea for kayakers.
On Sunday, 19-year-old Matt Wells posted a video showing a close call he had with a Great White Shark while out kayak fishing in New Zealand.
"It was terrifying in the moment, but in reflection, I’m kind of thoughtfully gracious that I did get to have that experience," Wells said. "It’s not something many people will get in their life. You have to be grateful for that much, especially getting out of it completely unharmed with a good story to tell."
READ MORE: Great White Shark Stalks Kayak Fisherman Off Coast Of New Zealand
In the famous words of Chief Martin Brody, "You're gonna need a bigger boat."