What happens if a whale shark swallows a person?

Question

On the discovery channel et al, you often see videos of people swimming with whale sharks, the largest fish. Whale sharks are filter-feeders that feed only on plankton. But with their huge mouths, surely they occasionally swallow larger things.

What happens when they do?

Answer 1

It is entirely possible for a whale shark to accidentally swallow a human. When they are feeding they suck in their prey like a strong vacuum. If you get in the way, you could be sucked in too. Accidents can happen.

When a whale shark swallows something too large to digest –say a large fish, buoy or as you suggest, perhaps even a human – it can cough up the unwanted meal by forcing its stomach up its throat in a process called gastric inversion.

Like the poster above said, the person who was swallowed would probably be smothered or crushed to death or at the very least seriously injured.

Answer 2

Whale Shark Swallows Man

Answer 3

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
What happens if a whale shark swallows a person?
On the discovery channel et al, you often see videos of people swimming with whale sharks, the largest fish. Whale sharks are filter-feeders that feed only on plankton. But with their huge mouths, surely they occasionally swallow larger things.

What happens when they do?

Answer 4

The person would likely suffocate first and then be digested. The whale would get a stomach ache. But really, whale sharks eat plankton, so I think that they would tell the difference between a plankton and a diver and not eat it. Aside from it, chances are slim you would ever come face-to-face with a whale shark, and if you did, it probably would not want to eat you anyway.

Answer 5

I saw a news story once about a guy who got sucked into the mouth. He recieved suction wounds. 100% serious.

It's like a giant love-bite!

Answer 6

If it accidently happened, they would regurgitate them, as they can only digest plankton.

Answer 7

Any volunteers?