Could a Humpback Whale Swallow You?
Could a Humpback whale really swallow a person?
Some whales, such as the humpback whale, have huge mouths. The Humpback's diet consists mostly of krill and small fish.
Humpbacks are "gulp feeders" and usually feed by filling their mouths with huge volumes of water, often breaching the surface. The baleen plates in their mouths filter their food from the water. Before it is swallowed alive.
Humpbacks have, on occasion, mistakenly wrapped their mouths around a kayaker or two.
Before quickly ejecting the unwelcome stowaways.
Due to its diet, the humpback's throat is tiny.
Roughly the width of a human fist, and can only stretch to about 15 inches in diameter to accommodate a bigger meal. They specialise in feeding on tiny animals, so only need a narrow throat. This also helps prevent them from swallowing something larger that they can't digest.
So it's understandable that when people see videos like this, they wonder, could a Humpback whale really swallow a person?
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