As if it were Pinocchio, two women got a big scare on the California coast, when a humpback whale almost swallowed them – at least apparently – while they were enjoying the sea. Both were quietly paddling in a kayak, when the cetacean approached and opened its mouth in a moment that was recorded in videos circulating on social networks.
In them, you can see the moment in which the animal manages to catch them, but After a few brief moments, which surely they felt eternal, he releases them in the middle of the sea. Those who witnessed the event notified the rescue members and both were treated immediately.
(Also read: I don’t want to die!: The last cry of a student before being attacked by killer whales)
According to National Geographic, although reports of people ending up in the mouths of whales are extremely rare, swallowing a human is physically impossible for all but one species. In the case of humpbacks, the size of their throat is designed for small fish, so although the women could end up injured, they would not have been swallowed by the animal.
(Also: Óscar Naranjo, from ‘Protagonistas de Nuestra Tele’, is now an informal vendor)
In another incident with these cetaceans, a few months ago the moments of anguish experienced by the occupants of a crew in Mexico when they were hit by a whale went viral.
There are some waters where it is more common to find them, such as Colombia, Mexico, Ecuador and Peru, but It is always advisable to keep a safe distance.
Last year, for example, a diver who fished for lobsters became a trend because he told how he survived after being swallowed by a humpback whale off the coast of Massachusetts, United States. It was in his mouth for 30 seconds before being spit back to the surface. But, Although humans fit in the mouth of this species, it is impossible for them to swallow them once inside.
The throat of the humpback whale is the size of a human fist and can extend up to 38 centimeters when they eat, so, as in the recent event with the women, they were not swallowed because the animal realized the situation and the he spat immediately.
(Also read: The radical change of Brendan Fraser, ‘George de la Selva’, weighing 270 kilos)
According to the cited medium, it is likely that the whales also have a bad experience when these situations happen to them, since they are only trying to eat fish and people are in the least opportune place and time.
In 2020, other kayakers were trapped in the mouth of a feeding humpback whale in California. In fact, all these stories, at least the most famous ones, are always reminiscent of the Bible, in which Jonah was swallowed by a whale so that he would not drown. Even in the fantasy plane, Gepetto, Pinocchio’s father, ended up inside one. Thus, over time, these ideas remained in the minds of many until they were considered true. The only whale that could cause a deadly encounter because it can swallow a person is the sperm whale.
What do whales eat?
Whales feed on fish, but odontocetes, such as sperm whales, can take squid, while baleen whales, such as the blue or gray, eat tiny prey such as plankton, krill, and minnows.