Mother Whale Lifts Calf Up to Get a Look at Humans on Boat: VIDEO
One World One Ocean posts a gray whale encounter in Laguna San Ignacio, on the Pacific coast of Mexico's Baja peninsula, where the mammals migrate:
The gray whales in San Ignacio Lagoon frequently approach small tourist boats, seeking the human interaction. While they could easily avoid the people, whose small boats are not allowed to closely approach whales, they actually seem to enjoy making contact.
They also note:
Whale watching here is highly regulated, with limits on how many boats can be on the water, how long they can stay, and how close they can get; rather than closely approaching the whales, they must idle their engine and wait for the whales to approach the vessel, which is a common occurrence.
Check out this amazing video of a mother holding up her calf, AFTER THE JUMP...
Find out more about One World One Ocean here.
This video is best without the sound. All the shrieking from that woman gave me a headache. Great video though.
Posted by: J. Alan | Mar 21, 2012 12:06:04 PM
Sabrina sounds like Sue from the SNL surprise party sketch.
Posted by: David | Mar 21, 2012 12:20:15 PM
I hate when humans have to reach out to these lovely creatures and touch. Don't forget the woman with the pony tail who was grabbed and pulled in and crushed over and over like jumping on a ball in a pool. Shamu was just playin'.
Posted by: MarkUs | Mar 21, 2012 12:23:01 PM
This is pretty much the coolest thing ever. I want to be besties with a whale.
Posted by: Top to Bottom | Mar 21, 2012 12:26:40 PM
Um, Markus, Orcas are ruthless predators.
Gray whales feed on crustaceans that they filter off the sea floor. I doubt they're going to confuse humans for shrimp.
Posted by: endo | Mar 21, 2012 12:38:43 PM
This is bad. very bad. And what happens when this baby whale approaches a Japanese whaling ship thinking all people just want to touch and shriek at them? Having them get cozy to us is sending the wrong message. We need to protect them, and this isn't doing it.
Posted by: Johnathon Abrielle | Mar 21, 2012 12:40:00 PM
Do the whales like seeing the people or getting touched by the people? Clearly, there is an intelligence there. Too bad so many
are still slaughtered every year. I hope that videos like this increase the interest is saving them.
Posted by: gr8guyca | Mar 21, 2012 12:42:15 PM
Wow, so many bitter freaking bettys comment on here!! the video was great, just enjoy it! That's a once in a lifetime experience right there. Awesome video.
Posted by: Lucas | Mar 21, 2012 12:56:47 PM
Endo, my point was whales are not infants. I hate these jerks who go into a wild animals habitat and touchy feely instead of standing back and observing. I wish they would all get eaten.
Posted by: MarkUs | Mar 21, 2012 12:58:21 PM
Sorry, but no matter how "nice" the whales may be, there's no way I'd be sticking my hand out of that boat! Just sitting and watching would be good enough for me.
Posted by: Jack M | Mar 21, 2012 1:01:19 PM
Markus I bet you are a real blast at social events...
Posted by: Derek | Mar 21, 2012 1:05:55 PM
Whales are people so its not really surprising that they are curious and want interaction with another intelligent, alien (to them) species. The problem is that this particular alien species (us) is extremely dangerous bordering on sociopathic. For the good of the more benign of the two species - them - we need to keep humans far, far away from them.
Posted by: Jonathon Edwards | Mar 21, 2012 1:06:05 PM
It totally makes sense to thank them in Spanish...
Posted by: BobN | Mar 21, 2012 1:21:49 PM
I both love this video and yet agree with those who say the people in it shouldn't be getting so close and touching them. Yeah, I can hold two conflicting views.
Posted by: Ryan | Mar 21, 2012 1:49:30 PM
+1 Johnathon Abrielle - I'm sure it is a very surreal experience, but I'm with you. Watch a season of Whale Wars and you see just how ruthless some people are.
Posted by: Greg Fountain | Mar 21, 2012 2:03:05 PM
I think the main point of this video is to show that everyone likes to put their mouth on a nice big whale!
Posted by: CoCo VonLoco | Mar 21, 2012 2:17:40 PM
The sound track really isn't up to the quality of the video.
Posted by: Demian | Mar 21, 2012 2:19:32 PM
And if we could understand the whaletalk, Mama would be saying "Now junior, if you don't eat all your krill, or go galavanting up some inner waterway, these creatures are going to get you."
Posted by: Bob | Mar 21, 2012 2:29:48 PM
Whales are far too trusting. Johnathon Abrielle is right. What if, instead of tourists, those were Japanese fishermen?
Posted by: Rodney Wollam | Mar 21, 2012 3:53:22 PM
No whales were harmed in the making of this video.
Posted by: anon | Mar 21, 2012 3:58:23 PM
Endfo
orcas are predators but they do not prey on humans. The only confirmed cases of aggression in killer whales towards each other and or humans are ones kept in captivity = stress of an unnatural environment/ imprisonment...24 such cases since humans started keeping orcas in captivity......there are supposed cases of aggression of wild killer whales but none confirmed and zero death reports
whales, dolphins, sharks, and seals though :-P Orcas are the apex predator of the oceans as man is the apex predator of the land
@ BOB
LOL :-P
Posted by: say what | Mar 21, 2012 5:51:43 PM
Were these people out on a day pass?
Posted by: D.R.H. | Mar 21, 2012 6:24:01 PM
AWESOME! AWESOME! Thanks for posting!
Posted by: jack | Mar 21, 2012 10:09:51 PM
That woman's harsh shrieks can actually travel many miles through the water to signal and annoy other whales as far away as a hundred miles.
Posted by: Billy | Mar 22, 2012 3:40:25 AM
Why would people want to kiss a whale. This interaction may make the whales less scared of people then they might approach a whalilng ship then be killed.
Posted by: Arthur | Mar 22, 2012 5:41:56 AM