Michael's mother Anne, an acclaimed artist, is no stranger to Michael's near brushes with death. You know, they talk about workaholics and I'm an official 'fishaholic'." You know, they talk about workaholics and I'm an official 'fishaholic'," he says. I am doing something that nobody else does and that just makes me feel so good and so special," he told 60 Minutes. "It's just for me being underwater and it's getting into another world away from all the masses. His brush with the whale hasn't dented his love for the ocean. "I've been a lucky guy my whole life," he chuckled.Īnd Michael doesn't think his luck will run out anytime soon. Not so much me," he told Stefanovic.įew people know the waters around Cape Cod, where the unusual incident occurred, as well as Michael Packard, but despite his experience he puts his escape down to good fortune. "I was just profusely sobbing that I survived. Knowing how close he'd come to death, the father of two teenage boys couldn't stop crying. Incredibly he remained conscious throughout the ordeal, and the only injury he suffered was severe tendon damage to one of his legs.īack on the surface and knowing he was safe, Michael's emotions were overwhelming. Michael estimates he spent nearly a minute in the mouth of the beast before it rose to the surface and literally spat him out. I think I could feel his tongue, I could feel his jaws kind of crushing my legs and I was trying to move my legs so I could get into position to swim out of his mouth. "He was going to do what he wanted with me." (60 Minutes) "He was going to do what he wanted with me," Michael said. I don't think it's a shark, and then instantly I knew it was a whale," he told 60 Minutes.īut his relief turned to fear when Michael realised the enormous size of the humpback meant he was helpless. "I thought, did I get eaten by a shark? No, I can't feel any cuts.