It is anatomically impossible for whales to swallow humans. Baleen whales, like humpbacks, have small throats despite huge mouths, making it impossible to swallow humans. Toothed whales, such as orcas, hunt larger prey but don’t target humans.
Posted by grosbigranou@reddit | whales | View on Reddit | 21 comments
https://whalescientists.com/can-whales-eat-and-swallow-humans/
Brave_Wolverine_3409@reddit
A sperm whale has a throat large enough to swallow a human whole.
zzcanasta@reddit
According to the 'Whale Scientists' website, "Sperm whales, for instance, can dive to great depths to hunt giant squid. Their esophagus, although larger than that of baleen whales compared to their body size, is still incapable of swallowing a human whole." Source: https://whalescientists.com/can-whales-eat-and-swallow-humans/#:\~:text=Sperm%20whales%2C%20for%20instance%2C%20can,of%20swallowing%20a%20human%20whole.
Hopeful-Entry-8672@reddit
False information
Hopeful-Entry-8672@reddit
Actually you’re clueless, Sperm whale is the only one that could potentially swallow a human whole
Okayisaname@reddit
Someone told me the most likely candidate for that story was a whale shark.
Veggie_McChicken@reddit
Also only has a throat the size of your fist/tennis ball, and eats krill/small fish
KindaKrayz222@reddit
Yet.
NBplaybud22@reddit
Is it possible that Noah just stayed in the whale's mouth and never slipped down the throat ?
P.s. This is not intended to be a ridiculous or sarcastic post.
Bonus: https://youtu.be/CBmmziYmyBs?si=VD7YPO59XypTc58Q
NotInherentAfterAll@reddit
If the Bible stories are to be interpreted as true and not metaphorical, then Jonah would have to have been swallowed by a sperm whale or have been in the mouth cavity of a large baleen whale. However, nobody could survive without divine intervention in any part of a whale for multiple days, due to stomach acids and drowning, but of course it’s a book about a divine being, so naturally we kinda have to assume that if it were to be true, biology probably doesn’t matter too much.
Bind_Moggled@reddit
Or, you know, it was just made up.
whalezempic@reddit
Pinocchio and Geppetto could probably speak knowledgeably on this.
Blekanly@reddit
Noah used a boat, job was the whale guy
hunybadgeranxietypet@reddit
No JONAH was the whale guy. Actually, the Great Fish guy.
OBESEandERECT@reddit
Job was tested, Moses was the whale guy
Bongsley_Nuggets@reddit
Moses was the plague guy, Methuselah was the whale guy
Haydenbarcellhoe@reddit
one of my favorite thoughts about why killer whales don’t target humans- widely accepted that the reason is either 1. they recognize sentience in human beings, 2. they think we are “cute”
likely a combination of both. wild shit
Bretters17@reddit
I don't know if it's 'likely' all three. It's most likely #3 - we're not prey items. There have been cases where we get investigated as prey (such as in Ketchikan in 2005), or even a time a surfer was bit. But we're not going to be targeted by residents/salmon-eating, nor offshore/shark-eating, and really it'd be the transient/marine-mammal eating ecotype that would probably try us. Although they haven't really, yet...
Haydenbarcellhoe@reddit
yeahhhhh but i think ur missing the point i failed to make pal- you could say the same about sharks. But if we fuck with a species’ food source enough & they’ll do what they gotta do to survive. And humans are in no short supply
darrenbarker@reddit
Humpback whale.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nbcboston.com/news/local/documentary-about-mass-diver-swallowed-by-whale-set-to-debut/3158815/%3famp=1
Bretters17@reddit
Not swallowed.
TheFox776@reddit
This hypothetical situation was explored pretty well in a book called "Whalefall" by Daniel Kraus. He takes some liberties with the biology to make the plot possible (IIRC the sperm whale is a decent big bigger than average and the main character is below average size) and he makes educated guesses where information is sparse (exactly how sperm whales hunt squid) but overall it is a pretty accurate book that I enjoyed immensely. I came for the whale biology and stayed for the interesting insights into scuba diving and the family trauma. Would easily recommend.