From Men's Health · Marah Eakin · · 2m
Whalefall: Could a Human Survive Being Swallowed by a Whale?
A sperm whale's stomach might hold a human for minutes, but not hours.
In brief
A sperm whale's stomach might hold a human for minutes, but not hours. A human could survive being swallowed by a sperm whale for a short time due to the whale's stomach structure and limited oxygen. Originally reported by Men's Health.
Whalefall Story
A kayaker was sucked up by a whale near Chile in 2025 and a lobster fisherman was swallowed near Provincetown, Mass. in 2021.
Whalefall Film
The film Whalefall stars Austin Abrams as Jay Gardiner, a diver swallowed by a sperm whale while searching for his recently deceased father.
Whale Stomach
Sperm whales have four stomachs, each with a different function, and they don't chew like other mammals.
Sperm Whale Anatomy
Sperm whales have a larynx shifted off-center to accommodate giant squid, making their blowhole on the left side of the head.
Whale Stomach Size
To fit a six-foot actor in a sperm whale stomach, the whale would need to be about 80 feet long.
Stomach Sphincters
Sperm whale stomachs have sphincters that control the flow of food, but they are positioned near the top of the stomach.
Whale Stomach Environment
The first stomach contains methane and unbreathable gases, limiting oxygen for a human to only minutes.
Squid in Stomach
Squid beaks and ambergris are found in the second stomach where digestion begins.
Water in Stomach
The water inside a whale's stomach has specific viscosity and opacity to mimic the environment.
Whale Stomach Models
Ramsey Avery created models of whale stomachs using upholstery foam to test camera placements and actor movements.
Whale Stomach Challenges
The stomach's complex folds allow for hidden camera ports but make it difficult to move an actor inside.
Whale Stomach Unknowns
Scientists don't know how a whale would react to a human in its stomach, as whales are rarely alive during research.
Sperm Whale Diet
Sperm whales eat giant squid, which they swallow whole without chewing, creating a compression chamber with their tongue.
Whale Stomach Realities
The first stomach has no digestion, while the second stomach starts the digestive process with acids.
Whale Stomach Survival
A human could survive inside a sperm whale for minutes due to the limited oxygen in the stomach.
Whale Stomach Conclusion
The movie Whalefall shows that a human could survive being swallowed by a sperm whale for a short time.
The headline
A human could survive being swallowed by a sperm whale for a short time due to the whale's stomach structure and limited oxygen.
