Man Escapes Whale's Mouth After Being Swept Inside While Snorkeling

It wasnt exactly the tale of Jonah, but one man still has a whale of a story to tell.

South African dive tour operator Rainer Schimpf recalled nearly being swallowed by a whale after he was mistakenly swept into its jaws during a sardine feeding frenzy last month.

The 51-year-old was snorkeling near Port Elizabeth Harbour when a series of photos captured him being sucked headfirst into a Brydes whales mouth. (Check out the video here or above .)

Extraordinary images show the moment a diver was almost swallowed by a whale off the South African Coast. #7News pic.twitter.com/vKmWzPNYV9

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Extraordinary images show the moment a diver was almost swallowed by a whale off the South African Coast. #7News pic.twitter.com/vKmWzPNYV9
7 News Sydney (@7NewsSydney) March 10, 2019

There was no time for fear or any emotion, he told The Telegraph . I knew instantly what had happened. I knew that a whale had come and taken me and I instinctively held my breath, assuming that it would dive down again and spit me out somewhere in the depths of the Indian Ocean.

Hes lucky it didnt Brydes whales, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration , can dive for five to 15 minutes and can reach depths of up to 1,000 feet.