In what can only be described as a real-life biblical tale, a commercial lobster diver experienced every ocean enthusiast's worst nightmare when he found himself literally inside the mouth of a giant whale. The astonishing incident, captured on camera, shows 56-year-old Michael Packard's brush with death that unfolded in the waters off Provincetown, Massachusetts.
The Moment of Terror
On what began as an ordinary workday on June 11, 2021, Packard was approximately 45 feet below the surface conducting his routine lobster dive. Without warning, the experienced diver found himself in complete darkness, surrounded by something massive and moving. He initially believed he had been attacked by a great white shark, a common fear among divers in these waters.
"I was in his closed mouth for about 30 to 40 seconds," Packard recounted to local media. The seasoned fisherman, who had been diving professionally for nearly four decades, described the surreal experience of realizing he was trapped in a whale's mouth rather than being attacked by a shark. The Bryde's whale, measuring an estimated 25-30 feet long, had unexpectedly engulfed him during what marine experts believe was a feeding event.
The Miraculous Escape
Rather than swallowing him whole, the whale held Packard in its mouth briefly before resurfacing and violently shaking its head. The cetacean then spat the diver out into the open water, leaving him battered but astonishingly alive. Packard's surface partner, Josiah Mayo, witnessed the extraordinary event from their boat, initially mistaking the commotion for a shark attack before realizing the true scale of what was unfolding.
Packard suffered significant injuries from the encounter, including severe soft tissue damage and bruises that left him walking with a limp for weeks. He was rushed to Cape Cod Hospital where medical staff treated his injuries, all while struggling to believe his incredible survival story. "The doctors were absolutely amazed," Packard noted. "They'd never seen anything like it."
Expert Analysis and Aftermath
Marine biologists who later reviewed the footage confirmed this was likely a case of mistaken identity during feeding. Bryde's whales are baleen whales that feed by gulping large amounts of water and filtering out small fish and krill. They don't typically view humans as prey, and this incident appears to have been a accidental capture during normal feeding behavior.
Despite the trauma, Packard returned to diving just months after the incident, demonstrating remarkable resilience. His story quickly went viral, with the footage amassing millions of views across social media platforms and sparking widespread discussion about human-marine life interactions.
The event serves as a powerful reminder of the unpredictable nature of working in marine environments and the incredible survival stories that can emerge from the deep. As Packard himself reflected: "I'm lucky to be alive." His experience stands as one of the most documented and verified accounts of a human surviving being swallowed by a whale in modern history.
