I meant a pharyngeal reflex. "The pharyngeal reflex or gag reflex is a reflex contraction of the back of the throat,[1] evoked by touching the soft palate.[2] It prevents something from entering the throat except as part of normal swallowing and helps prevent choking. Different people have different sensitivities to the gag reflex."
About whales, "The trachea only connects to the blowhole and there is no connection to the esophagus as with humans and most other mammals. Because of this, there is no risk of food accidentally ending up in the animal's lungs, and likewise the animal cannot breathe through its mouth. As a consequence, whales have no pharyngeal reflex."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pharyngeal_reflex