Boy Swallowed by Whale Writes Bestselling Memoir: 'Inside the Beast: My Whale of a Time'

In a tale that makes Jonah’s biblical escapade look like a Carnival Cruise mishap, 12-year-old Timmy Jenkins has become a literary sensation after surviving 72 hours inside a sperm whale—and turning the ordeal into a New York Times bestseller. The memoir, Inside the Beast: My Whale of a Time, details Timmy’s “cozy yet acidic” stay in the whale’s stomach and his unexpected friendship with a disgruntled squid named Kevin.

Critics are calling the book “Eat Pray Love for the cetacean-curious,” with chapters like “Baleen or Bust: Navigating the Esophagus” and “Krill Me Softly: Gastric Juices and Life Lessons.” Timmy’s agent, a former marine biologist turned TikTok book influencer, confirmed the rights have already been optioned for a Netflix series titled Submarine Squid Squad.

The memoir’s most controversial chapter, “Whale Breath: It’s Not Just Morning Breath,” has sparked heated debates on Reddit, with marine biologists arguing over the accuracy of Timmy’s claim that the whale hummed Baby Shark during digestion. Meanwhile, Greenpeace issued a statement urging readers to “stop romanticizing trauma-bonding with endangered species.”

Timmy has since launched a lifestyle brand, Blubber Buddies, selling krill smoothie kits and scented candles labeled “Eau de Cetacean.” His next project? A sequel tentatively titled Jaws of Life: That Time I Got Swallowed by a Giant Squid (It’s a Whole Thing).

When asked about his newfound fame, Timmy shrugged: “Honestly, middle school was scarier. At least the whale didn’t make me do algebra.”

His parents, meanwhile, have filed a lawsuit against the whale for “emotional distress” and “unlicensed use of a child as a digestive aid.” The whale could not be reached for comment but is reportedly shopping its own memoir, I Regret Nothing: A Predator’s Guide to Snack-Shaming.