PUNTA ARENAS, Chile — A humpback whale unexpectedly engulfed a kayaker in Chilean Patagonia before swiftly releasing him unscathed. This remarkable encounter was captured on video and rapidly gained attention, becoming one of the most astounding pieces of footage in recent years in Chile.

On Saturday, Adrián Simancas was paddling with his father, Dell, in Bahía El Águila, close to the San Isidro Lighthouse in the Strait of Magellan, when a humpback whale emerged from the water, briefly swallowing Adrián along with his bright yellow kayak.

Dell, just a short distance away, filmed the entire episode while calmly encouraging Adrián to remain composed.

“Keep calm, stay calm,” he can be heard advising his son after the whale released him from its mouth.

Adrián later told The Associated Press, “I thought I was done for. I believed it had consumed me.” He recounted the sheer “terror” of those fleeting moments and noted that his real anxiety struck only after resurfacing, worrying about the potential harm to his father or the possibility of drowning in the icy waters.

Despite the frightening ordeal, Dell stayed focused, filming while reassuring his son, even as he experienced his own fears.

Adrián expressed, “When I came up and started to float, I was scared that something might happen to my father too, that we wouldn’t make it to shore in time, or that I could suffer from hypothermia.”

After a few tense seconds in the water, Adrián reached his father’s kayak and received immediate assistance. Fortunately, both made it back to shore without any injuries.

Situated approximately 1,600 miles (3,000 kilometers) south of Santiago, Chile’s capital, the Strait of Magellan is a prime destination for tourists in Chilean Patagonia, renowned for various adventure activities.

Its chilly waters present challenges for sailors, swimmers, and explorers attempting to navigate through.

Even during the summer months in the Southern Hemisphere, the region experiences cool temperatures, with lows dropping to 39 degrees Fahrenheit (4 degrees Celsius) and highs seldom exceeding 68 degrees Fahrenheit (20 degrees Celsius).

While encounters between whales and humans are exceptionally rare in the waters of Chile, fatalities of whales due to ship collisions have become more frequent in recent years, and strandings have turned into a growing concern throughout the past decade.

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