'I felt slimy texture...': Kayaker reveals THIS terrifying experience inside whale’s mouth | WATCH

A 23-year-old kayaker, Adrián Simancas, found himself in a terrifying ordeal when a humpback whale briefly engulfed him and his kayak in the waters of Bahía El Águila near the Strait of Magellan. The surreal moment, captured on video by his father, lasted only a few seconds before the massive creature released him unharmed.

Trapped in darkness: Adrián recalls the terrifying moment

Speaking to the BBC, Adrián described the chilling experience of suddenly being inside the whale’s mouth. "I closed my eyes, and when I opened them, I realized I was inside the whale’s mouth," he recalled. The slimy texture around him and the eerie darkness heightened his fear. For a brief moment, he wondered if he would be able to survive inside, much like the fictional story of Pinocchio. However, before he could fully grasp the situation, the whale forcefully ejected him, sending him back to the surface.

Father’s panic: Watching his son disappear

Adrián's father, Dall Simancas, who was kayaking just a few meters away, watched in shock as his son vanished beneath the water. "When I turned around, I didn’t see Adrián," he said. "I was worried for a second until I saw him coming up out of the sea." Dall had mounted a camera on his kayak to capture the waves, unknowingly recording his son's near-impossible survival. Watching the footage later, Adrián was astonished at the whale’s enormous size. "I hadn't seen the moment when the back appears, and the fin is visible. That made me nervous," he admitted.

How did he escape? Expert explains the science

Wildlife expert Roched Jacobson Seba explained why Adrián was able to escape so quickly. "Humpback whales have very narrow throats, only about the size of a household pipe, designed for small fish and shrimp," he said. "It was physically impossible for the whale to swallow him."

The expert noted that the whale likely engulfed Adrián by accident while feeding. "Whales surface too quickly when feeding, and sometimes they unintentionally scoop up objects in their path," he added.

A life-changing experience

For Adrián, the experience was not just a near-death encounter but a profound moment of reflection. "It invited me to think about what I could have done better in life and how I can appreciate every moment," he shared.

The incident serves as a crucial reminder for water sports enthusiasts to exercise caution in whale habitats. Experts advise avoiding silent watercraft like paddleboards and surfboards near whales, as they may not be easily detected. Boats with running engines, however, produce noise that alerts whales to their presence, preventing similar accidents.