Watch Gray Whale Get Kissed by Tourists As It Breaches Next to Boat
A curious gray whale got close enough to be kissed by tourists as it breached right next to a boat. The footage was filmed by Alexander Banky while on a boat tour of Magdalena Bay in San Carlos, Mexico.
It shows the friendly giant appearing just inches away from the boat.
"It really made you feel a connection to nature," Banky told Storyful. "I hope this video makes people realize how important it is to protect and appreciate the natural beauty of our planet."
Gray whales are only found regularly in the North Pacific Ocean. The mammals can grow to about 49 feet long and weigh approximately 90,000 pounds. The species is well known for taking an interest in boats and are often the main focus of whale-watching tours in the region because of their curious nature.
In the footage, the gray whale is surrounded by tourist boats as it bobs along the surface of the water. The whale briefly goes below the surface, before appearing again, this time right next to Banky's boat.
It then begins to breach, sticking its head completely out of the water.
"Hello señor whale," a man can be heard saying.
The whale can be heard snorting as a tourist reaches forward to stroke it. Another tourist then hurries forward and pats the whale.
As the whale gets closer, the tourist leans forward to kiss its head.
The whale then breaches again, this time putting its head just a few inches from the tourists in the boat. The whale allows a few more tourists to kiss it before it begins to move off.
Before it completely swims away, it blasts the tourists with water as they yell and laugh in delight.
"Oh my god, that was awesome," one of the tourists can be heard saying.
The population of gray whales living off the coast of Mexico may be attracted to the boats because of the low-frequency sounds they give off, a 2016 study from the Laguna San Ignacio Ecosystem Science Program suggested. Gray whales are particularly curious about their environment and may approach the boats to see where the noises are coming from.
Off the coast of Mexico, there are no killer whales, and whale watching boats do not harass the animals they observe, the study said. For this reason, gray whales do not associate the boats with danger, making them more inclined to investigate.
It is more common for them to approach boats in the winter months when they are not preoccupied with courtship or the protection of their calves.
Gray whales are not currently endangered and their population is stable, however, they face occasional threats from becoming entangled in fishing gear.
