Snorkeler caught in whale's mouth during swim

A snorkeler apparently had a once-in-a-lifetime experience and lived to tell about it.

Rainer Schimpf was snorkeling near Port Elizabeth Harbor in South Africa during a sardine run last month, 9 News reported.

While he was just under the surface of the water, a Bryde's whale came up and opened its mouth, trying to swallow the tour operator, Sky News reported.

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Schimpf said he was in the water for only a few minutes when he said the whale got him in its mouth. He had been more concerned about sharks in the water and that’s why he was caught by surprise.

“I was busy concentrating on the sharks because you want to know if the shark is in front of you or behind you, left or right, so we were very focused on the sharks and their behavior - then suddenly it got dark.”

Schimpf said he knew it was a whale that scooped him up.

"Once I felt something had grabbed me on the hip, I knew instantly it was a whale and my next thought was that, firstly, he can't swallow me because I'm too big, so that was kind of an instant relief," Schrimpf told Sky News.

But it could have still been dangerous if the whale decided to dive. But luckily the whale didn’t want to eat Schimpf and spit him out.

Bryde's whales don't normally have a hankering for humans. Instead, they feed on large fish and plankton, 9 News reported.

Cox Media Group