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Man miraculously survives being almost swallowed by humpback whale

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Published 20:00 10 Jul 2024 GMT+1

Man miraculously survives being almost swallowed by humpback whale

Now this is one of the greatest stories he will ever be able to tell his children.

Gerrard Kaonga

Gerrard Kaonga

Commercial lobster diver Michael Packard is lucky to be alive and as well as that he has quite the story to tell.

Either being the luckiest or unluckiest man in the world, June 11, 2021 would be a fateful day for him.

A humpback whale near Provincetown, Massachusetts scooped up Packard in its mouth while he was out diving.

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He admitted he 'felt this huge bump and everything went dark'.

Luckily, it spat him out just seconds later. Guess it didn’t like the taste.

If that wasn’t miraculous enough, not only did he survive but he came away with no long-term injuries. Not bad for being swallowed by one big ol animal eh.

While alive with no major injuries he didn’t get away completely scratch free, he suffered a few bad bruises and a dislocated knee, staying in the hospital for only a short time.

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“I was lobster diving and a humpback whale tried to eat me. I was in his closed mouth for about 30 to 40 seconds before he rose to the surface and spit me out. I am very bruised up but have no broken bones,” Packard told the media.

Speaking to reporters outside his home, he admitted that there were moments when he thought this would be the end of his life, understandably.

Michael Packard was almost swallowed by a humpback whale.
Getty Stock Image

“This is how you're going to die. In the mouth of a whale,” he recalled.

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"I just was struggling but I knew this was this massive creature, there was no way I was going to bust myself out of there."

When Packard was spat out the darkness turned to light and he realized what had just happened.

"I was just laying on the surface floating and saw his tail and he went back down, and I was like, 'Oh my god, I got out of that, I survived,” he added.

His mother, who was there during his interview, joked that this was quite the way to become a celebrity.

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After his story recently resurfaced online, social media users couldn’t help but throw in a few whale puns and jokes for good measure following Packard’s good fortune.

He miraculously survived with no major injuries.
WCVB Channel 5 Boston

“'That was awful. Worst meal I’ve ever tried to eat', the whale explained,” joked one user.

“What a crazy ride! The humpback whale must be like: 'You're whalecome!' after he spat him out,” cracked another.

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“Bro almost got krilled,” added another.

“Whoa, that's one way to get up close and personal with marine life! Can't imagine the story he'll have to tell after that wild ride,” someone else commented.

It’s true though, Packard will have a whale of a story to tell anyone who would listen to his tale.

Featured Image Credit: YouTube/WCVB Channel 5 Boston

Topics: Social Media, Animals

Gerrard Kaonga
Gerrard Kaonga

Gerrard is a Journalist at UNILAD and has dived headfirst into covering everything from breaking global stories to trending entertainment news. He has a bachelors in English Literature from Brunel University and has written across a number of different national and international publications. Most notably the Financial Times, Daily Express, Evening Standard and Newsweek.

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