A South African diver had a “whale of a time” after being swallowed and spat out by one!
Port Elizabeth, South Africa – A DRAMATIC set of pictures show a man nearly being swallowed by a Bryde’s Whale off Port Elizabeth Harbour.
Rainer Schimpf, 51, has worked as a dive tour operator in South Africa for over 15 years. But in February, he experienced something very rare – the inside of a whale’s mouth. In perfect sea conditions, Rainer and his team set off to document a sardine run – a natural event where gannets, penguins, seals, dolphins, whales and sharks work together to gather the fish into bait balls.
Rainer and his colleagues’ film the expedition for educational and environmental purposes. Split into two groups, Rainer led his team into the ocean, about 25 nautical miles from shore but it was when the sea suddenly churned up that the team knew something strange was happening.
“The next moment it got dark and I felt some pressure on my hip. Once I felt the pressure I knew that a whale had grabbed me.”
“There is no time for fear on a situation like that, you have to use your instinct,” Schimpf said.
Luckily, the whale eventually spat him out!
Watch the video below:
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