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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
Environment
Charis McGowan

‘I closed my eyes to brace for impact’: the man who escaped a whale’s mouth

a man in the sea clutching an inflatable raft
Adrián Simancas after being briefly scooped up by a humpback whale off Chilean Patagonia on 8 February. Photograph: AP

Adrián Simancas had been paddling for two hours in the calm but icy seas of the Strait of Magellan, off the coast of Chilean Patagonia, when something massive emerged from the water and dragged him under.

“I saw dark blue and white colours before feeling a slimy texture brush against my face,” the 24-year-old told the Guardian. “I closed my eyes to brace for impact, but it was soft, like being hit by a wave.”

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