A sperm whale could theoretically swallow a human, though the event is highly improbable. The possibility is explored in the upcoming movie *Whalefall*, where a scuba diver is accidentally drawn into a sperm whale’s mouth while observing a giant squid.
Comparative anatomist Joy Reidenberg of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City explains that a “very big adult sperm whale” – reaching 18 meters or more – could swallow a person. Reidenberg served as a consultant on *Whalefall*. Other whale species, like the fin whale, are less capable; Reidenberg notes she “can barely get my arm down the throat” of a fin whale, which primarily consume small organisms like krill and plankton through baleen plates, creating a “thick milkshake” of a meal.
Unlike baleen whales, sperm whales prey on large creatures, including giant and colossal squid. Researchers believe sperm whales use suction to consume prey, depressing a bone in their throat called the hyoid, drawing water and prey into their mouths. The whales also possess a uniquely shifted larynx, widening their throat. However, this process has never been directly observed. Marine biologist Shane Gero of Project CETI explains that a whale is simply “trying to have dinner, and [they] probably got in the way” if an encounter occurs. In 2019, a Bryde’s whale briefly grabbed a wildlife photographer off the coast of South Africa before releasing him.
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