Rainer Schimpf was snorkeling and taking photos in South Africa during a sardine run when suddenly a Bryde’s whale showed up and scooped up the dive tour operator in its mouth.

"I held my breath and I was prepared, and that's the only thing I could do,” Schimpf, 51, told the Today Show. "I mean, you can't fight a 15-ton animal."

The whale released Schimpf unharmed after a couple of tense seconds.

Bryde’s whales are not known to be aggressive, but they are known for their feeding behaviors. They can lunge with their mouths agape through schools of fish and krill.

This is likely what the whale was doing when it encountered Schimpf off the coast of Port Elizabeth. Since sardine runs attract large animals in search of an easy meal, it’s no surprise the whale was attracted to the area.

Beginning in May each year, millions of sardines spawn off the Cape of South Africa and then leave the cold waters to travel north to the KwaZulu-Natal coast. This event is known as the sardine run among the dive community, and has become very popular with divers.

If you’re ever in the area during the Greatest Shoal on Earth, make sure to watch out for the hungry Bryde’s whale lest you be accidentally swallowed in the feeding frenzy.