Adrián and the Whale

There are moments that define each of our lives. Some we can predict: graduations, marriages, births, death. Others? Not so much. And in the year 2025, sometimes, if the stars align just so, you may find that moment explode online. That's what happened to 23-year-old Adrián Simancas. Last month, he was paddling the Straight of Magellan, with his father Dell, when the unimaginable happened: a humpback whale emerged from the water and engulfed him in its open mouth — and his father captured it all on video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LyN2cO9IbrQ Almost immediately, the video went viral. Simancas sat down with Endless Thread to discuss his whale tale, the deluge of attention that followed, and what he's learned from his intimate moment with nature. Show notes: Video of Adrián's whale encounter. https://www.reddit.com/r/ThatsInsane/comments/1io8jun/dad_films_as_his_son_is_swallowed_and_then_spit/?share_id=X3t5BiK0M2JOenc0Tunz0&utm_content=1&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_source=share&utm_term=1 We originally saw it on the Reddit thread: r/ThatsInsane Adrián Simanca's Youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/@adriansimancas Dell Simanca's Youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/c/dellSimancasma%C3%B1ocochaNel Did a whale swallow a kayaker? The truth behind the viral video https://www.npr.org/2025/02/14/nx-s1-5297762/whale-swallows-kayaker-video-explained (NPR)

Speaker names marked ? are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.

• 0:00Speaker 00

  Support for this podcast comes from Is Business Broken?, a podcast from the Marotra Institute at BU Questram School of Business. A recent episode explores how AI is reshaping our schools. Stick around until the end of this podcast to preview the episode.

• 0:17Speaker 01

  Support for Endless Thread comes from MathWorks, creator of MATLAB and Simulink software to design and develop engineered systems, accelerating the pace of discovery in engineering and science. Learn more at mathworks.com.

• 0:32Speaker 02

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• 1:03Speaker 03

  WBUR Podcasts, Boston.

• 1:16Ben Brock Johnson?

  Could you tell what was going to happen before it happened? Did you know that there was an animal underneath you?

• 1:26Speaker 05

  It was a complete surprise when something struck me from behind and there was something coming at me. Like, blue dark and white shadow, very fast, in form of an animal. Then I was like, laying down, spinning, and I realized that I was inside of the mouth of an animal. And I guessed that I would die.

• 2:05Ben Brock Johnson?

  There are moments that define each of our lives. Some we can predict: graduations, marriages, births, death.

• 2:14Amory Sivertson?

  Others, not so much.

• 2:17Speaker 05

  We were going on to an island called Nassau, here at the south of Chile. And yeah, we were going to camp on the island. It would be my dad's birthday.

• 2:35Ben Brock Johnson?

  I assume being swallowed by a whale was not part of the planning for the trip.

• 2:41Speaker 05

  No, not at all.

• 2:43Speaker 07

  This may be the wildest story of the morning. A whale swallowing a kayaker, then immediately spitting him out.

• 2:49Speaker 08

  23-year-old Adrian Simancas swallowed and then spit out by a humpback whale while kayaking last weekend. Truly terrifying experience. You can only imagine.

• 3:01Ben Brock Johnson?

  Today, we're taking you to the Strait of Magellan in Patagonia.

• 3:06Speaker 05

  It's very cold. It's very rocky. There are mountains. It's very peaceful. You know, you just kind of get to hear the wind.

• 3:18Amory Sivertson?

  Where 23-year-old Adrian Simancas.

• 3:21Speaker 05

  Hello. Nice to meet you.

• 3:24Ben Brock Johnson?

  And his father Dell.

• 3:27Amory Sivertson?

  Got the shock of their lives last month. And got blowholed, blasted into internet.

• 3:36Ben Brock Johnson?

  Who among us has not been blowholed?

• 3:38Amory Sivertson?

  Straight into internet virality as a result.

• 3:42Speaker 09

  There are tales about whales, and then there's this.

• 3:50Ben Brock Johnson?

  I'm Ben Blowhole Johnson.

• 3:54Amory Sivertson?

  I'm Amory Blasted Above the Sea Vertson.

• 4:01Ben Brock Johnson?

  And from the dry, sea-creature-free confines of WBUR, Boston's NPR, this is Endless Thread. And this, this is the story of Adrian and the whale.

• 4:24Ben Brock Johnson?

  So yes, we talked to the guy from the video that traveled the world last month on the internet, the one where the guy gets swallowed by a whale.

• 4:33Amory Sivertson?

  Engulfed by a whale, we should say. Whales can't swallow humans. They just can't. Their throats are too tiny. But this unsuspecting paddler in Patagonia did get accidentally taste-tested by a whale, who was probably just after some fish.

• 4:52Ben Brock Johnson?

  But a normal day in the life of this guy is much more, well, normal.

• 4:57Speaker 05

  I am Adrián Simancas, and I work at a school here in Punta Arenas, where I live. I'm the technology manager.

• 5:08Ben Brock Johnson?

  Do you get to hang out with kids and help them use the internet? Or are you mostly just fixing things when things go wrong?

• 5:16Speaker 05

  A little bit of both. And sometimes I help with the setup for events and all the multimedia, you know?

• 5:26Ben Brock Johnson?

  Yes, the tech guy. You're the tech guy.

• 5:29Speaker 05

  Yeah.

• 5:34Ben Brock Johnson?

  It seems like you're kind of an outdoors person. Is that true? You and your dad spend a lot of time in the outdoors together?

• 5:41Speaker 05

  Yeah, since I was a kid, we hung out and were to climb mountains, you know, or go into rivers. And my mom also loves nature, you know? It's something that a lot of people have that love in common, you know? To plant flowers, to go outside. I think it's something that...

• 6:08Speaker 05

  I have in my blood.

• 6:10Ben Brock Johnson?

  The Simanca's family is originally from Venezuela, and they now call the city of Punta Arenas home. It's a place at the very southern tip of Chile, known as a gateway to some of Patagonia's most spectacular natural wonders. Kind of a ground zero for outdoor adventuring.

• 6:29Amory Sivertson?

  And they don't just hike and summit mountains. They rock climb, they bike, and they record a lot of these adventures and post them for the 700-plus followers of Dell's YouTube channel. They also packraft.

• 6:42Ben Brock Johnson?

  Which, as everyone knows, is... What is packrafting? We did not know.

• 6:48Amory Sivertson?

  We do now. A packraft is this type of lightweight inflatable boat specifically designed for people who are backpacking and hiking into the places they want to paddle. When they're unfolded and filled with air, packrafts look a lot like the inflatable kayaks you might be more familiar with.

• 7:05Ben Brock Johnson?

  And Adrian and his dad love to packraft.

• 7:09Speaker 05

  It's like the bicycle for me. It's like part of my body. I really enjoy traveling in different ways. It's a sport that can help you to have adventures in places you wouldn't imagine.

• 7:30Ben Brock Johnson?

  So it's February, and it's Adrian's dad's birthday. Like any good father-son outdoorsy duo, they decide to celebrate with a multi-day hiking and packrafting trip. They spend Friday camping, and then, for the weekend, they plan to packraft out to an island called Nassau. So they pick up their rafts, set out. It's around noon, and they hope to get to the island by sunset. But to get there, you have to paddle through one of the world's most famous or infamous sea routes, a stretch that separates the two largest oceans in the world, the Strait of Magellan.

• 8:08Amory Sivertson?

  Dell has paddled this area before, but it's Adrian's first time, and he's pumped. At first, the water's calm, but as they paddle towards the island, the weather begins to shift in a sinister direction.

• 8:23Speaker 05

  Suddenly it started to rain and it started to form a little waves. I was thinking that we should hurry up and maybe curve our route a little bit.

• 8:40Amory Sivertson?

  Adrian and his dad aren't too worried. They know what they're doing.

• 8:46Amory Sivertson?

  But Adrian also notices something off in the distance, something very whale-like.

• 8:52Speaker 05

  I had seen a stream of water coming out to the surface, but far away, you know? So I didn't thought that we would meet another whale so close.

• 9:07Ben Brock Johnson?

  Adrian's never come across a whale before, but it's a bit far away, so he's not too worried about it. Meanwhile, Adrian's dad Dell is a few yards ahead of him and he's starting to set up shop. Remember Dell likes to post YouTube videos and like any good YouTuber, rain or shine, you gotta get that content.

• 9:27Amory Sivertson?

  So Dell sets up his fancy 360-degree camera, as he's done many times before. And just as he turns it on, something unimaginable happens.

• 9:39Speaker 05

  That's precisely when the whale came out.

• 9:46Ben Brock Johnson?

  More in a minute.

• 10:08Speaker 00

  Support for this podcast comes from Is Business Broken?, a podcast from the Marotra Institute at BU Questram School of Business. How should employers measure real skills in the age of AI?

• 10:21Speaker 10

  Instead of observing the final artifact, instead of observing the final essay or the final program, observe the entire process of creation.

• 10:29Speaker 00

  Follow Is Business Broken? wherever you get your podcasts and stick around until the end of this podcast for a preview of a recent episode on rethinking academic and job assessment when AI can do the work.

• 10:48Speaker 02

  When you shop Kroger Delivery, you can expect the savings you love and fresh groceries delivered right to your door. From delicious produce to everyday essentials, enjoy the convenience of delivery and the trusted selection you've come to know from Kroger. Because bringing you fresh, quality groceries is what we do best. Right now, enjoy free delivery on orders of $50 or more with your digital coupon. Restrictions apply. See site for details. Kroger. Fresh for everyone.

• 11:17Speaker 11

  When everything feels nonstop, movement becomes the pause. So give Lululemon this holiday season. Smooth, seamless running gear builds momentum through every mile.

• 11:30Speaker 11

  Comfortable workout styles clear the way for locked-in focus. And dynamic stretch expands presence through every pose.

• 11:42Speaker 11

  Give the feeling. Shop in-store and on lululemon.com.

• 11:54Ben Brock Johnson?

  Okay. We're in Chilean Patagonia, in the Strait of Magellan, with Adrian and Dell Simoncas. Dell has just set up a 360-degree camera to capture footage for his YouTube channel when something extraordinary happens.

• 12:11Amory Sivertson?

  Suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere, a humpback whale emerges from the water and engulfs Adrian and his packraft in its open mouth.

• 12:25Ben Brock Johnson?

  I've watched this video at least a dozen times at this point, and every single time, it's just absolutely insane.

• 12:32Amory Sivertson?

  It is because the mouth is so big. You're not expecting a whale's mouth, or you can't fathom how big a whale's mouth is. And so the mouth, you know what I mean?

• 12:43Ben Brock Johnson?

  Good use of the word "fathom" because part of the reason is that the entire thing is underwater. It's like a giant creature that's underwater. And then, all of a sudden, its mouth comes out of the water, and you're like, "Oh, my God, that thing's huge."

• 12:57Amory Sivertson?

  Yeah. And Adrian says, in that moment, pulled into this giant mouth of a whale, he thought he was about to die.

• 13:08Speaker 05

  I just felt like when you're swimming and you get to a wave and the wave is too big and it spins you down in the water. That was kind of what I felt. I was holding my breath.

• 13:27Speaker 05

  At first, I thought that, well, I guess it was the only thing that I could do right now.

• 13:38Ben Brock Johnson?

  But then, just seconds later, Adrian and his boat reappear.

• 13:44Speaker 05

  I was outside and the boat came out of the water too. I was calling for my dad to warn him because I thought that something was swimming below us. And of course, there was a whale swimming, like looking at me, trying to understand what happened. And it was a group of whales. So I was very scared and paranoid.

• 14:15Ben Brock Johnson?

  The whale dives again, and then it disappears.

• 14:23Speaker 09

  Hey!

• 14:24Amory Sivertson?

  On the video, you can hear Dell calling to Adrian.

• 14:27Speaker 09

  Tranquilo, agarra el bote, agárralo, tranquilo, agárralo. Agárralo, agárralo, no te subas, agárralo.

• 14:33Amory Sivertson?

  He's saying, basically, "Don't worry, don't worry, stay calm, grab onto my rope." And his tone, at least to us as viewers and to many, many people on the internet, is surprisingly chill, at least for the circumstances.

• 14:48Ben Brock Johnson?

  The experience I had in watching the video was I was like, "Why is his dad so relaxed? I don't understand."

• 14:57Speaker 05

  Well, he didn't really see the moment when the whale came out. He was starting the camera. I was behind him. And when he heard the splash of water, he turned back. And I was not there, neither was the boat, and he was kind of confused, you know?

• 15:21Ben Brock Johnson?

  That would be confusing.

• 15:25Speaker 05

  And then when I got up, he was relaxed about me being

• 15:34Speaker 05

  being fine, you know, being awake and floating. Because that's better than any other possible situation when I had just disappeared in the water. I think that's, that's why he was very positive about it.

• 16:01Speaker 05

  It is the, the protocol when you need to rescue someone. Because I, I would have lost a lot of energy just trying to fight to, to get out of the water. And the only thing to do was to wait.

• 16:22Amory Sivertson?

  In the video, you can see Adrian holding on to his packraft as he swims over to his dad, grabs on to his boat.

• 16:32Amory Sivertson?

  And Dell paddles them both to safety. End scene.

• 16:40Ben Brock Johnson?

  Yes, believe it or not, Adrian told me he actually wanted to continue on to the island. But he'd lost his paddle when he went under.

• 16:50Amory Sivertson?

  I hate it when that happens.

• 16:55Ben Brock Johnson?

  The siemontas make it safely back to land and despite literally being in the mouth of a whale, Adrian says, he's totally fine.

• 17:04Speaker 05

  My dad is a doctor, so he, he just made sure that, that I was okay. He is also like a sports trainer. So I was like with, with the most capable person to be around when I got hit by a whale.

• 17:31Ben Brock Johnson?

  Dell posted the video online and it's since ended up everywhere. We first saw it on Reddit, but it's been featured by CNN, The New York Times, the BBC, you name it, they've posted it. What has it felt like to go so viral and to be so immediately popular?

• 17:51Speaker 05

  It's funny. I didn't really thought that it would have so much reach. I think it is nice that because of this, I get to promote the music I make, maybe in the near future. And I also like to write, not only songs, but poetry and short stories. I share a bit of the things I do with YouTube. There is the music like trova rock, like folk punk.

• 18:40Speaker 05

  My dad also has a YouTube channel and that's where we've been posting videos of excursions since like 12 years ago. And yeah, this has kind of been an inspiration and motivation to keep on doing all this and get to do something good with all the repercussions of this being so public, you know?

• 19:17Ben Brock Johnson?

  Since his whale encounter last month, Adrian has done countless interviews. Many appear to be quick hits, but he told us about one of his more in-depth interviews. He did it the day before he talked to us.

• 19:30Speaker 05

  I think they wanted to know about the spiritual implications about something like this happening.

• 19:41Ben Brock Johnson?

  Are you religious?

• 19:43Speaker 05

  Not especially. My family is mostly Catholic, like the most of the people in Venezuela. But I always wanted to get a little further in what the teachings of the life could be in different cultures. And yeah, I believe there is a God that lives inside all that is nature. And that's the same love from God that we have to learn to make a good impact on this world. I think that's what was the meaning

• 20:28Speaker 05

  of the message that I can perceive from this.

• 20:34Amory Sivertson?

  And since his meeting with a whale, Adrian is only more grateful for that message.

• 20:40Speaker 05

  I think, well, life is a gift. When we go through this kind of experience, it's like you have more reasons now to be grateful for the life you have.

• 21:03Ben Brock Johnson?

  Have your brother and your sister and your mother and your father all hugged you a little bit tighter since this happened?

• 21:11Speaker 05

  Yeah, yeah, a little bit. I mean, it was very shocking at first. But I think besides the shocking and the fear, yeah, it has a lot of art to it. You know, my mom is working on an illustrated children book.

• 21:37Speaker 05

  Right now.

• 21:38Ben Brock Johnson?

  About the whale experience? Is she making it about your experience?

• 21:42Speaker 05

  Yes, and it will be very emotional, I guess. And very beautiful because she's a great painter. And my brother is also a musician. My daughter also likes to draw and write. It is very, very inspiring to them, I guess, because it's something special, like you would see in some Garcia Marquez novel.

• 22:22Amory Sivertson?

  Temperatures have dropped in Patagonia. But despite his experience, Adrian vows to get back on the water, back in his packraft when the weather turns. And this time, he's set on making it to the island.

• 22:35Speaker 05

  It feels kind of scary, but I will do it next year.

• 22:44Ben Brock Johnson?

  We've not been able to reach the whale to ask it for an interview.

• 22:51Ben Brock Johnson?

  If you could give a message to the whale, what would the message be?

• 22:57Speaker 05

  Thank you for saying hi that day, because you made it a lot more meaningful. Even though you ruined our birthday plans, they turned out being a double birthday.

• 23:22Speaker 05

  And I hope we maybe can get to see us again from a bigger distance.

• 23:35Amory Sivertson?

  And just in case the whale only understands Spanish, I mean, in addition to whale, obviously.

• 23:42Speaker 05

  Bueno, sería lo mismo más o menos. Ballena nos dañaste el plan de cumpleaños, pero se convirtió en cumpleaños doble. Y existe que la previa fuera incluso más interesante. Y si nos volvemos a ver ojalá sea desde más lejos, espero que tengas una larga vida.

• 24:11Speaker 05

  How about long life?

• 24:22Ben Brock Johnson?

  You can find footage from this trip and other trips Dell and Adrian have taken on Dell's YouTube channel. He's Dell Simonkas. And you can find out more of what Adrian is up to, including his previously mentioned music, on his channel, Adrian Simonkas. We've put links to both in our show notes.

• 24:50Amory Sivertson?

  Endless Thread is a production of WBUR in Boston. This episode was written and produced by Caitlin Harrop. It was co-hosted by me, Amory Sivertson, and...

• 25:00Ben Brock Johnson?

  Me, Ben Brock Johnson. Sound design by Emily Jankowski.

• 25:04Amory Sivertson?

  The rest of our team is Franny Monahan, Dean Russell, Grace Tatter, and Meg Kramer. Our managing producer is Sumit Tijoshi, and our production manager is Paul Vikes.

• 25:14Ben Brock Johnson?

  Endless Thread is a show about the blurred lines between online communities and the inside of a whale's mouth, which is very watery, turns out.

• 25:23Amory Sivertson?

  Yes, and by the way, this has nothing to do with a whale's mouth, but it does have to do with our show and future episodes. We're working on an upcoming episode about how people are using AI in their relationships. So not just like, "I made myself an AI girlfriend," because we already made that episode and you should listen to it, but we're thinking more like... You know, your work, your friends, your parents, other people in your life. What role is AI playing in those relationships? We want to hear it. Send us a voice memo or a written message to [email protected].

• 25:56Ben Brock Johnson?

  If you have an untold history, an unsolved mystery, or other wild story from the internet that you want us to tell, hit us up. [email protected].

• 26:20Speaker 00

  Support for this podcast comes from Is Business Broken? A podcast from the Marotra Institute at BU Questrom School of Business. Follow Is Business Broken wherever you get your podcasts and listen on for a preview of a recent episode featuring Janik Kang, Executive Director of the Just Horizons Alliance on who stands to benefit from AI in education.

• 26:43Speaker 12

  I am absolutely in favor of AI in learning in the right context.

• 26:48Speaker 09

  And just explain why you're excited about it.

• 26:50Speaker 12

  Oh, my gosh. Individualized support, right? Personalization and to be able to scale quality education in places where it was historically impossible. So for certain kinds of learners with different kinds of learning styles and disabilities. For example, speakers of different languages. There are amazing ways AI can boost learning. It just has to be with the right context. And age appropriateness is something we do a lot of work in because it is very different depending on where in that maturity cycle you are in terms of how your brain develops.

• 27:21Speaker 00

  Find the full episode by searching for Is Business Broken? Wherever you get your podcasts and learn more about the Marotra Institute for Business, Markets and Society at ibms.bu.edu.

• 27:39Speaker 02

  When you shop Kroger Delivery, you can expect the savings you love and fresh groceries delivered right to your door. From delicious produce to everyday essentials, enjoy the convenience of delivery and the trusted selection you've come to know from Kroger. Because bringing you fresh, quality groceries is what we do best. Right now, enjoy free delivery on orders of $50 or more with your digital coupon. Restrictions apply. See site for details. Kroger. Fresh for everyone.

• 28:09Speaker 11

  When everything feels nonstop, movement becomes the pause. So give Lululemon this holiday season. Smooth, seamless running gear builds momentum through every mile.

• 28:22Speaker 11

  Comfortable workout styles clear the way for locked-in focus.

• 28:27Speaker 11

  And dynamic stretch expands presence through every pose.

• 28:33Speaker 11

  Give the feeling. Shop in-store and on lululemon.com.