A lobster fisherman swallowed by a humpback whale
A lobster fisherman with 40 years of practice had the fear of his life on Friday after being swallowed by a humpback whale.
Kate Westaway / gettyimages.fr
Text by: RFI Follow
3 min
In the United States, and more specifically in the state of Massachusetts, a lobster fisherman with 40 years of practice had the fright of his life Friday, June 11 after being swallowed by a humpback whale.
A story that seems difficult to believe, but his testimony and that of another man who accompanied him during this trip to sea are taken very seriously by specialists.
Michael Packard's adventure even went viral this Saturday around the world.
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Mickael Packard was diving for lobsters, about 13 meters deep, off Cape Code, an area popular for its beaches and especially the quality of its lobsters. And that's when a "
whale tried to eat me
," he explains in the pages of a local daily. "
I was in her mouth for 30-40 seconds before she came up and spit me out
." He thought his last hour had come. A very plausible explanation according to Jooke Robbins, a local specialist in humpback whales, who recalls that when a whale wants to feed, "
they go forwards, mouth open, and swallow fish and water very quickly
".
But if their mouths are wide enough, their throats are too narrow to fit a man through, she says.
Mickael Packard is doing well.
“
I have bruises everywhere, but no broken bones
,” he explains from his hospital room where he was taken after being rescued by rescuers alerted by his fishing buddy.
This is the first time such a story has been reported, according to Jooke Robins, who thinks it's a good warning: “
If you see a whale, stay a good distance.
It is really important to give the whales some space
”.
A warning intended especially for tourists who are returning to this popular area.
“Thank god, it wasn't a white shark.
He sees them all the time out there.
He must have thought he was done. ”
- Cynthia Packard https://t.co/yX2j1RvWzg
- Cape Cod Times (@capecodtimes) June 11, 2021
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