It is a Whale of a Tale but is it True?

 

The story is everywhere about the Massachusetts Lobsterman Michael Packard’s story about being swallowed by a humpback whale and then spit out.  There is a fair share of skeptics questioning his story according to unilad.com.uk.  I mean, it sounds crazy.  I think I would have died of shock at realizing I was in the mouth of a whale and if everything was just dark, I don’t think I would question if I were in the belly of a whale or just been hit on the head.

 

Some Reasons the Story is Being Questioned

 

One of the reasons Packard’s story about being literally swallowed by a whale has to do with diving research.  A Cape Cod Hospital doctor is quoted in the New York Post as saying, “he reportedly ascended from a 45ft dept in 20-40 seconds and didn’t have any evidence of barotrauma.” Baraotrauma is also known as decompression sickness caused by divers coming up too rapidly from a deep depth in the water.  Some are also questioning his lack of injuries; I mean he suffered a lot of soft tissue trauma but no broken bones and was released from the hospital after a very short stay.

 

Whale’s Throat Too Narrow to Swallow Human

 

Another reason the story is being questioned has to do with humpback whale anatomy.  The biggest fish on the planet eats very small things.  They are filter feeders, so their throat is not big enough to swallow a human according to reporting by unliad.co.uk.   But if you have ever seen them feed, you know how wide their mouths stretch so maybe Packard was just caught up on the mouth.  He never said he was in the belly of the whale.  One thing I have learned about New Englanders is they are straight shooters. I don't know about this one.  How about you?

 

 

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