Close Call in the Ocean: Russian Influencer Escapes Sperm Whale in Mauritius

Maria Pogrebnyak, the former wife of Russian footballer Pavel Pogrebnyak, narrowly avoided a life-threatening incident involving a sperm whale. She shared the details of the episode, which took place in Mauritius, on her Telegram channel.

The businesswoman said that she went on an excursion with her family that included a boat trip into the ocean to observe whales. After nearly two hours at sea, the influencer finally spotted two sperm whales and decided to jump into the water to swim closer to them.

A Hidden Danger in the Water

"None of us noticed that another whale was approaching me from behind. It was moving straight toward me,” the blogger recalled.

She explained that the swim turned out to be extremely dangerous, as a third sperm whale could have injured her or even accidentally swallowed her. According to Maria Pogrebnyak, the situation ended safely only because one of the instructors accompanying the group reacted in time.

Instructor Intervenes at the Last Moment

A member of the crew sharply pulled her away from the animal, preventing a potentially fatal outcome. Pogrebnyak emphasized that without the instructor's quick reaction, the encounter could have ended very differently.