Do You Remember When a Massachusetts Man Was Swallowed By a Whale & Lived to Tell the Story?

Even if you did not grow up in the church, there is a good chance that you know the story of Jonah.

Jonah disobeyed God, so God sent a big whale to swallow him. Inside the whale, Jonah realized he had made a mistake.  After he agreed to obey God, the whale spit him back out, and Jonah went to do what God had asked.  That's the very simple version of the story, but you get the idea.

A few years ago, New England got its own version of the Jonah and the whale story.  Except, instead of being about Jonah, the New England version of the story is centered on a man named Michael Packard.

Michael Packard Swallowed by a Whale

According to an article on the WCSH 6 website, in June of 2021 Michael Packard had an encounter with marine wildlife he will never forget.

Packard said he was diving in about 45 feet of water when something suddenly slammed into him, plunging him into darkness.  At first he thought he had been attacked by a great white shark, which are common in Cape Cod waters during the summer, but quickly realized he was inside the mouth of a whale because he did not feel any teeth.

Packard's diving partner, Josiah Mayo, was operating the boat and monitoring the dive when the incident happened.  Mayo said he saw a large splash and significant thrashing at the surface before spotting Packard emerge from the commotion as the whale disappeared beneath the water.

Packard said the experience quickly became a fight for survival. While inside the whale's mouth, his breathing regulator became dislodged, forcing him to locate it while the animal shook violently.  As time passed, he believed he might die inside the whale, uncertain whether he would be swallowed or suffocate.

He said his thoughts immediately turned to his family, including his wife, mother, and two sons, ages 12 and 16.  Packard recalled struggling to free himself but realizing the whale was far too large for him to escape on his own.

Moments later, Packard said he saw daylight as the whale shook its head and expelled him from its mouth.  He surfaced, floating on the water, and watched the whale's tail disappear beneath the surface.  Packard said he was overwhelmed with relief after realizing he had survived the encounter.

Such a wild story!