As you have probably gathered by now, even though it is technically possible to survive being swallowed by a whale, it's extremely unlikely. But luckily for us, whales are generally not that interested in humans. If you are going to worry about anything eating you in the water, it should probably be sharks.
Back in June 2021, Michael Packard from Massachusetts discussed how he was trapped inside a humpback whale's mouth for approximately 40 seconds.
For anyone scared of the ocean or Bible stories, science can put some of those fears to rest. The video below by House of the Future points out that only one species of whale even has a throat big enough to fit a human. And yes, you would suffocate or be crushed or burned in acid if that happened.
In fact, incidents of humans being swallowed by whales have only been recorded once before in history. In the 1890s, James Bartley was swallowed by a sperm whale while on a whaling expedition near the Falkland Islands. Incredibly, he survived.
If there is any gas inside a whale, it's probably methane, and that's not going to help you out very much. We do know that whales can be flatulent, so there is some gas. They do have gassy pockets, but it's not air, not good to breath.
Though a humpback could easily fit a human inside its huge mouth—which can reach around 10 feet—it's scientifically impossible for the whale to swallow a human once inside, according to Nicola Hodgins of the Whale and Dolphin Conservation, a U.K. nonprofit.
Massive Arteries
The arteries are so large, in fact, that a full-size human could swim through them. The aorta alone measures in at over 9 inches! The blue whale's heart can weigh more than 400 lbs.
The stomach walls are very thick and muscular, to grind up fish and giant squid, before they pass to the other chambers and digest in the gastric juices. There is no breathable air in a whale's stomach, so you would have at most three minutes before you asphyxiated.
It was said that Bartley was inside the whale for 36 hours, that his skin had been bleached by the gastric juices, and that he was blind the rest of his life.
Even if they tried to swallow a human whole, they wouldn't be able to fit a person down their throat. Blue whales won't even attempt to eat small marine mammals, let alone humans. There are no known recorded events of a blue whale ever eating or consuming a person partially or wholly except in stories and mythology.
Their brains do not trigger a breathing response until the levels of CO2 are much higher than what humans can tolerate. These mechanisms, part of the marine mammal diving response, are adaptations to living in an aquatic environment and help during the process of sleeping.
Large sharks are not only hunters, but also scavengers. Growing evidence suggests whale carcasses are an important part of the diets of large sharks. In fact, the fat in whale blubber can significantly increase a shark's metabolism.
Due to their enormous size, if you are left wondering what is the largest thing a whale can swallow, the answer is- a grapefruit! Their throat is about the size of plate, which is why they feed on plankton and small fish. The Fin Whale is next in line as the second largest whale species in the world.
56-year-old Luigi Marquez lived to tell the fascinating tale of his survival, as he came alive after spending 3 days inside a giant whale. The horrifying incident took place when Luigi went missing at sea, after a violent sea storm threw him off his vessel.
Because of Jonah's disobedience to God's commands, the prophet was thrown overboard and swallowed whole. For three days and nights the LORD kept the prophet Jonah alive in the belly of this sea-dwelling beast before God commanded it to vomit Jonah out onto dry land.
While the divers look too close to the whale shark in the photos, the humans were actually in no danger at all. According to Metro, whale sharks are filter feeders and won't eat any humans they encounter. They feed only on plankton and very small fish.
From a historical perspective, whales do appear to be non-aggressive. Their relatives, the dolphin species, tend to be very friendly and curious toward humans, often displaying a desire to greet and meet people.
It's harmful and illegal. **Do not swim with, ride, pet, touch, or attempt to interact with marine mammals or sea turtles in the wild.
In reality, the only animal large enough to swallow you whole without killing you first, or in the process, is a sperm whale. But even if you manage to dodge its teeth, your death certificate would still say 'chomped to death'.
Sharks can sleep, and often opt to keep their eyes open while they do, according to new research published in Biology Letters. Because some sharks must swim constantly to keep oxygen-rich water flowing over their gills, it has long been rumored that they don't snooze at all.
Human activities, including hunting, pollution, and injuries from massive ships can kill whales. Other causes of death may be old age, starvation, infection, complications giving birth, or becoming beached.
A 2019 study found that great white sharks would avoid their preferred hunting waters off the coast of San Francisco if an orca makes an appearance in the region, disrupting shark feeding behavior for extended periods at this aggregation site.
Animals that don't need sleep (bullfrogs and dolphins) Animals that don't need rebound sleep after using up all their energy (bees) Animals that show harmful side effects from sleep deprivation (humans)
Female dolphins generally ovulate 2 to 7 times per year with a cycle length of about 30 days. They are seasonally polyestrous, and estrous occurs from spring to fall. The estrous cycle varies in length from 21 to 42 days.
Some do it buried under a blanket of mud. Regardless of their preferred mode, bats, elephants, frogs, honeybees, humans and more have something in common: They all sleep. In fact, scientists have yet to find a truly sleepless creature.