Saved from the fate of "Geppetto's father"; American fisherman went "into the whale's mouth" and returned alive
An American fisherman says he was inside the mouth of a humpback whale for 30 to 40 seconds on Friday, but the massive animal ultimately spat him out rather than swallow him.
Michael Packard, an American man who makes a living by fishing for king prawns in Massachusetts, recounted the incident on his Facebook page. Scientists who study the lives of humpback whales have called Michael Packard's account "believable" and "authentic." He was reportedly hospitalized for a short time on Friday after the incident.
The fisherman from Provincetown, 200 kilometers east of Boston, wrote on his Facebook page: "I went into the water [of the ocean] looking for king prawns and suddenly a humpback whale tried to swallow me. I spent 30-40 seconds in its mouth which was closed. Finally it came back to the surface and spat me out. I have bruises all over my body but no broken bones. I am grateful to the Provincetown rescuers for their help and medical attention."
A man who accompanied Michael Packard on a sea hunt on Friday also said he saw him thrown out of the humpback whale's mouth. He called rescuers and asked them to help rescue Michael Packard.
"It could have been the wrong fisherman in the wrong place at the wrong time," said Jock Robbins, a biologist who studies whales. Whales often leap with their mouths open when searching for food, swallowing fish and water quickly. However, Jock Robbins said that while whales have very wide mouths, their throats are narrow, making them unable to swallow large animals.
Michael Packard's account of Friday's incident is reminiscent of the fate of the character "Father Geppetto" in "The Tales of Pinocchio" by 19th-century Italian author Carlo Collodi. In part of the story, "Father Geppetto" emerges from the belly of a sea monster.
The body length of the humpback whale, sometimes called the humpback whale, is between 9 and 15 meters. These mammals often weigh up to 30 tons.
Source: Euronews
