Humpback whale gulps and spits out Cape Cod lobsterman
Michael Packard says he was diving when he ended up in the marine giant's mouth for about 30-40 seconds off Provincetown, Massachusetts.
Humpback whales can grow to as long as 50ft (15m) and weigh about 36 tons. According to the World Wildlife Fund, their global population is about 60,000.
Mr Packard, 56, told the Cape Cod Times he and his crewmate took their boat, the Ja'n J, off Herring Cove on Friday morning where conditions were excellent, with water visibility at about 20ft.
He told WBZ-TV News that after jumping off the vessel in scuba gear into the water, he "felt this huge bump and everything went dark".
He thought he had been attacked by one of the great white sharks that swim in the area, "and then I felt around and I realised there was no teeth".
"And then I realised: 'Oh my God, I'm in a whale's mouth and he's trying to swallow me. This is it, I'm going die'."
