A lobster fisherman from the U.S. had a near-death experience and lived to tell the tale when he was swallowed by a humpback whale and was spat out by the leviathan. The lobster fisherman who experienced a scene from the film "Pinocchio" was identified as Michael Packard, who also took to Facebook and tell the story of his experience with the whale, according to an AFP report.

The incident happened on June 11, when he was diving for lobsters off the coast of Massachusetts.

Lobster Fisherman Survives Being Swallowed by a Humpback Whale

As a licensed lobster fisherman or diver, 56-year-old Packard plucks lobsters off the sandy bottom of the area. Cape Cod Times reported that Packard saw schools of sand lances and stripes swimming by. However, he suddenly knew that he would be part of the food chain at that moment.

"All of a sudden I felt this huge shove and the next thing I knew, it was completely black," said Packard after he was released from the hospital. Packard added that he could feel that he was moving and as well as the whales moving the muscles of its mouth.

Initially, the lobster fisherman thought that he was victimized by a great white shark. However, he could not feel any teeth from the leviathan, and he had not sustained any wounds. That's when it came to him that he was gulped by a whale.

"I was completely inside; it was completely dark," said Packard, as he thought about his children while losing hope of getting out of the whale's mouth.

Packard stayed inside the mouth of the humpback whale for about 30-40 seconds before the leviathan spat him out. The lobster fisherman noted that the whale threw its head from side to side then he suddenly realized that he was out in the waters.

Despite what Packard experienced, director of Humpback Whale Studies at the Center for Coastal Studies in Provincetown, Jooke Robins said that the incident with the lobster fisherman was a mistake and an accident of the humpback whale.

"When they [whales] fish, they rush forward, open their mouth and engulf the fish and the water very quickly," Robbins noted, adding that the whale may not be able to detect that something is in the way. The director also pointed out that humpback whales are not aggressive animals, especially towards humans.

What to Do When Swallowed by a Whale

Although most whales, like the humpback whale that accidentally swallowed the lobster fisherman, are not aggressive, What If emphasized that the only whale capable of eating humans are the sperm whales.

But what will you do when you get swallowed by a whale? The first thing that needs to be done is to curl up like a ball to minimize the surface area of the body and decrease the chance of getting chomped by the whale's teeth if there are any. Trying to feel inside the mouth will also be helpful but challenging since it will be very dark. Then without packing, waiting for the whale to spit up will increase the chance of survival.

Even though humpback whales are not hostile against humans, Director Robbins noted that divers like the lobster fishermen and everyone should be aware and stay away from the area when they see a whale.

WATCH: What If You Were Swallowed by a Whale? - from What If