"Feeling the Whale's Mouth Muscles" Humpback Whale Swallowed US Fisherman, Returned Safe and Sound

[Asia Economy Reporter Seoyoung Kwon] A fisherman who was swallowed by a humpback whale in the United States miraculously survived, drawing widespread attention.

According to the AP News and local media, Michael Packard (56), who lives in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, was out lobster fishing on the 11th (local time) when he was sucked into the mouth of a humpback whale.

Packard, who has worked as a diver for 40 years, reportedly went out by boat to check lobster traps off the coast of Cape Cod. He jumped off the boat wearing scuba gear, but soon felt a strong impact at a depth of about 10 meters.

He initially thought he was attacked by a shark, but when he felt around with his hands, he realized he had been swallowed by a humpback whale. Packard was trapped inside the whale’s mouth for about 30 seconds before the whale surfaced and shook its head violently, allowing him to escape.

Miraculously surviving, he was rescued by his colleagues on the boat and taken to the hospital. Medical examination confirmed that he had no injuries other than bruises, and he was discharged after an hour. Packard said, "The whale tried to swallow me. I thought I was going to die," and added, "I felt like I was being squeezed inside the whale’s mouth muscles."

Meanwhile, Dr. Charles Mayo of the Provincetown Center for Coastal Studies in Cape Cod explained the situation, saying, "Humpback whales are not aggressive animals, so swallowing a person is very rare," and "It is presumed that the whale swallowed Packard along with fish it was trying to catch."