In a heart-stopping encounter, a humpback whale briefly engulfed a kayaker in the Strait of Magellan, a renowned tourist destination in Chile. The incident unfolded on a Saturday, though the exact date remains unspecified. Adrián Simancas was kayaking with his father, Dell, in Bahía El Águila near the San Isidro lighthouse when the unexpected event occurred. A humpback whale surfaced, momentarily scooping Adrián and his yellow kayak into its mouth before releasing him unharmed.
Dell Simancas captured this extraordinary moment on camera from a nearby kayak. Despite the shock, Adrián managed to reach his father's kayak and was quickly assisted after his release. The temperatures in the region remain cool, with minimums dropping to 39°F (4°C) and highs rarely exceeding 68°F (20°C), adding to the challenges of the encounter. In the southern hemisphere, where it was summer at the time, the waters can still be quite chilly.
Adrián described the experience as "terrifying," admitting that he thought he was dead during those tense moments. Meanwhile, Dell maintained his composure, filming the incident while reassuring his son and managing his own anxiety. Whale attacks on humans are extremely rare in Chilean waters, though whale deaths from collisions with cargo ships have increased in recent years. Furthermore, strandings have become a recurrent issue over the past decade.
The Strait of Magellan is located approximately 1,600 miles (2,600km) south of Santiago, Chile's capital. This major tourist attraction draws adventurers and nature enthusiasts from around the world. While such incidents are uncommon, they highlight the delicate balance between human activities and marine life in these waters.