London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Jun 19, 2026

0:00
0:00

"It Was A Done Deal": Man Swallowed By Humpback Whale In US Describes Encounter

Michael Packard was trapped inside a humpback whale's mouth for approximately 40 seconds.
A man from the United States has recalled how he nearly died last year, after being swallowed by a giant humpback whale.

Back in June 2021, Michael Packard from Massachusetts discussed how he was trapped inside a humpback whale's mouth for approximately 40 seconds. Back then, in an interview with Cape Cod Times, he had noted that when he went into the water for a dive, he was about 10 feet from the bottom, before being swallowed whole by the mammal.

Now, one year later, Mr Packard, who is a veteran lobster diver, has again spoken about how the incident happened, acknowledging how it occurred on "just a normal day".

Speaking to Cape Cod Times, Mr Packard explained, "I get in the water and I did two dives. And then (on the) third dive, I dove down and I was descending to the bottom. And I was just about to the bottom. And I just got slammed. Just like a freight train ... and then all of a sudden it went black."

He remembered how the water was just rushing around him, as he was moving through it "wicked fast," and he could "feel pressure on (his) whole body". He revealed that as he was still in the giant whale's mouth, his breathing device had fallen out, which he tried to grab, as he was worried that this was how he was going "to die".

"I was like, 'I better grab that f***ing thing," Mr Packard said about the device. "And I put it back in my mouth. And I'm in there, and I'm trying to get out, and [the whale is] f***ing freaking out," he added.

"I'm thinking to myself, 'This is it, Michael. This is it. This is how you die,'" he continued. "And I was 100 per cent sure that I wouldn't get out of this situation. It was a done deal, and I thought about my kids, and my wife."

However, fortunately, Mr Packard told the outlet that he ultimately got out of the whale's mouth, as the mammal started going up to the surface and "shaking his head". The whale got all erratic, he said, adding, "And then boom! I f***ing fly out of his mouth. And I'm like, 'Oh my god.'"

Mr Packard further went on to say that once he was floating on the surface, he thought about how grateful he was that his "lungs didn't explode," while in the whale's mouth.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Dorset Council Tests AI Tools to Streamline Local Planning Applications
UK Researchers at Kew Gardens Use AI to Speed Up Identification of Threatened Plant Species
UK Gilt Yields Ease Toward 4.8% as Inflation and Labour Market Data Weigh on Bonds
Bank of England Data Shows Resilient SME Lending Despite Economic Slowdown
UK Finance Reports Weakening Services Activity as Business Confidence Softens
UK Introduces Mandatory Internal Complaints Process Under Data Use and Access Act
Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey Flags Geopolitical Uncertainty as Key Risk to Inflation Outlook
Bank of England Holds Interest Rates at 3.75% as Policymakers Signal Cautious Stance on Inflation Risks
Cornwall Clergy Raise £40,000 for Church Repairs Through Everest-Themed Charity Challenge
UK Business and Social Landscape Reflects Strain From Geopolitical and Domestic Pressures
Tensions Grow in UK Over Sikh Kirpan and Religious Symbolism in Public Debate
Energy Price Cap Increase Set to Lift UK Household Bills by 13 Percent
University of Reading Ranked 196th in QS World University Rankings
UK Maritime Archaeologists Identify 17th-Century Dutch Shipwreck Off Devon Coast
Oxford Union Islam Debate Sparks Protest From Faith Leaders in UK
UK Social Cohesion Debate Intensifies After Religious Prejudice Survey Findings
UK SME Lending Rises Despite Geopolitical Uncertainty and Cautious Outlook
Foreign Demand for UK Gilts Remains Sensitive to Global Inflation Trends
Labour Party Faces Leadership Pressure After Weak Local Election Results in UK
Transport Costs Drive Inflation Pressure as Petrol Prices Push Up UK CPI
British Chambers of Commerce Cuts Growth Forecast as Middle East Conflict Weighs on Investment
UK Economy Grows 0.6 Percent in First Quarter but Outlook Remains Weak
Bank of England Holds Interest Rates at 3.75 Percent as Inflation Risks Persist
Energy Price Cap Rise Expected to Keep UK Inflation Above Target Through 2026
Health Authorities Warn of Rising Cases of Seasonal Respiratory Illnesses
BAE Systems and Rolls-Royce Advance Multi-Nation Fighter Aircraft Programme
National Archives Publish Declassified Documents on Cold War Energy Security Planning
British Retail Spending Rises Despite Continuing Cost-of-Living Pressures
Wales Launches Social Housing Pilot to Address Affordability Pressures
British Energy Companies Commit £5 Billion to Geothermal and Hydrogen Projects
Northern Ireland Debates Cross-Border Healthcare Partnership With the Republic of Ireland
UK Establishes National Artificial Intelligence Safety Centre With Leading Universities
UK Reports Decline in Small Boat Crossings After Expanding Intelligence Cooperation With France
Scottish Parliament Launches Inquiry Into Delays to Renewable Energy Projects
National Crime Agency Dismantles Alleged Multi-Million-Pound Money Laundering Network in London
Transport Strikes Disrupt Rail and Bus Services Across Northern England
United Kingdom and European Union Open New Security Dialogue on Defense and Border Cooperation
Bank of England Holds Interest Rates at 5% as Services Inflation Remains Elevated
UK Government Unveils Major National Health Service Reform Focused on Decentralization and Performance Funding
Government Advances New Airport Slot Rules to Ease Airline Operating Constraints
BBC Opens Flagship Science-Fiction Franchise to Competitive Production Bids
Chancellor Meets City Leaders Amid Concerns Over Gilt Market Liquidity
Rathbones Shares Fall Seventeen Percent After Regulatory Review Reveals Compliance Failings
United Kingdom Joins Group of Seven Initiative Using Artificial Intelligence and Quantum Computing for Cancer Research
Parliament Debates Doubling Tax Allowance for Pensioners After Major Public Petition
Measles Cases Exceed Seven Hundred in London and the West Midlands
British Military Leadership Faces Parliamentary Scrutiny After Defence Secretary's Sudden Resignation
House of Lords Begins Debate on Steel Industry Nationalisation Legislation
Parliament Advances Bill to Abolish NHS England and Create Single Patient Records
Parliament Fast-Tracks National Security Bill to Expand Powers Against Foreign Threats
×