
Science Friday· Folge 1417
Could a whale swallow a human, 'Whalefall' style?
Freitag, 16. Oktober 2026 · 18 min
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Shownotes
In the new movie “Whalefall,” (youtube.com/watch?v=Dw-5ZGapGTQ) a scuba diver (Austin Abrams) gets accidentally swallowed by a sperm whale. What follows is a tense battle against time and the whale’s digestive system, to escape before his air supply runs out.
But could a whale actually swallow a human? And how might this play out in real life? Joining Flora to weigh in are sperm whale biologist Shane Gero, and “Whalefall” director Brian Duffield.
Wondering how you’d fare inside a sperm whale’s stomach? Read more here (sciencefriday.com/segments/whalefall-movie-sci…).
Guests:
Brian Duffield is the director of “Whalefall.” He is based in Los Angeles, California.
Dr. Shane Gero is a whale biologist and biology lead for Project CETI based in Ottawa, Ontario.
Transcripts for each episode are available within 1-3 days at sciencefriday.com/segments/whalefall-movie-sci….
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