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15-year-old Greg Greenfield was briefly swallowed by a humpback whale while kayaking off the coast of Catalina Island on Sunday.

Greg and his father George Greenfield, 52, were kayaking when a whale breached,  swallowing Greg for approximately for 10 seconds before spitting him out, unharmed. 

Shortly after the incident the Coast Guard rescued the kayakers.

“I thought it had eaten me, that it had swallowed me whole,” Greg said. “I was really scared but there was nothing I could do.” 

Greenfield took Greg to a clinic in Irvine where a doctor examined Greg. The doctor found no injuries Greg may have sustained during his whale encounter. 

The Catalina Islands are a popular tourist destination. However, humpback whale encounters are extremely rare

Being about 10 yards away Greenfield could watch and video the whole event. The video went viral as people were impressed with the father’s calm reassurance of his son.

“It was scary, but I didn’t want Greg to panic,” George said.