A whale is one of those respectable and imposing animals, even for a diver, who, although he thinks he knows the behavior of these huge mammals, is never prepared to become their snack.
Sneaking between prey and a predator sometimes has unusual consequences. Rainer Schimpf is one of the few people who are lucky enough to have done it and to be able to tell about it.
Perhaps it would have been different if the animal that had swallowed him had been a shark. But no, it was a whale. A Bryde’s whale, to be more exact, that was strolling along the South African coasts and that decided “kindly” to return Schimpf to the sea after having kept him for two minutes in his mouth next to his dinner.
Rainer Schimpf is a diver with many years of experience, who has made countless trips to document the migration of sardines to southern Africa.
The diver could not imagine that he would be swallowed by a whale
whale
His work has allowed him to observe the most unthinkable animals up close, but he never thought that he would get to know the inside of a whale.
Recently, Rainer and his team were on the shores of Port Elizabeth, South Africa, when something happened that took their breath away.
Rainer was in the water taking a look at the local animals. He knew that in Port Elizabeth he could get dolphins, gannets and even sharks but he never imagined that he would encounter a huge whale.
The Bryde’s whale is a species that can measure up to 15 meters and weigh 20 tons. He very rarely lets himself be photographed, so they had no news of his presence in that area.
From one moment to the next, Rainer felt a huge pressure on his hips and everything turned black: A fin whale had swallowed him.
“I felt something strong around my waist and I knew right away. It was only a few seconds. The whale realized his mistake and opened his mouth to spit on me,” Rainer said.
A few meters away from there was Heinz Toperczer, the photographer who was part of the team. Before he realized the enormous danger that his fellow diver was facing, he took some images that captured him perfectly.
After ruling out that the hole was that of a shark, he decided, almost instinctively, to hold his breath.
“The only thing I was worried about is that I could be dragged to the bottom and released into the depths of the Indian Ocean,” recalls Schimpf.
Seconds later, everyone realized that the whale had spat back at Rainer and managed to check that he had not suffered any injuries.
“I imagine that for the whale it was also scary. They are very sensitive animals and attentive to what is around them but when they open their mouths they do not see what is in front,” said Claudia Weber, a diver who was present.
Fortunately, the whale realized that Rainer was not one of his prey and immediately returned him. The strength of these animals is amazing, so it is a real miracle that Rainer did not suffer any injuries.
“It was a very interesting experience for me but it’s definitely something I don’t want to go through again,” Rainer said.
“He knew he wasn’t going to swallow me because he hadn’t done it in time, he just didn’t see me,” said the diver, who after meeting about 100 cetaceans, is convinced that the whale was definitely kind thanks to the sympathy she saw in him.
The confused diver immediately returned to the boat and asked the photographer if he had managed to capture such a unique moment.
“I want to clarify that whales do not eat people. This was not an attack. It wasn’t the whale’s fault. They are gentle giants. It was just an accident”” Claudia Weber said.
“I knew I hadn’t been swallowed by a shark, because I’d be dead,” Rainer said.
It is practically the only thing that Schimpf can remember today from that day that has marked his life ever since.
It is beautiful to know that the whale was kind because he sensed that Rainer would not hurt him. It’s what every little animal should be able to live.
