On Friday, a lobster diver in Cape Cod was reportedly swallowed by a humpback whale while diving. He said he was in the animal's mouth for around 30 seconds before it spat him out. However, while a humpback could technically fit a human in its massive mouth, it is scientifically impossible for it to swallow one, as its throat is much too small, usually around the size of a human fist. There have been other reports of people being swallowed and spit out before, but all these people were likely simply temporarily "engulfed" in the whale's mouth as it was trying to feed. The only whale with a throat big enough to swallow humans (and larger organisms) is the sperm whale, but this organism generally lives down in the depths of the ocean, below where most humans are ever able to go.
Whales generally fall into two categories in terms of what they eat. Toothed whales sperm whales can eat animals like fish and squid, while baleen whales have teeth-like baleen which helps them filter small organisms like krill out of the water. So there is no reason to be afraid of whales, especially because most people will never get close enough to one to be "swallowed". In fact, whales need more help from us. A variety of human activities has led to a population decline, with everything from hunting to boats causing problems.
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