For Some Whales in Baja, One Kiss Just Isn't Enough Rachael Burford - MailOnline | |
go to original February 22, 2017 |
This is the moment an endangered whale swims up to a sightseeing boat and lets a tourist steal a kiss. The close encounter was filmed in Magdalena Bay, Mexico by a surprised onlooker on a neighboring boat.
The area is a popular destination for tourists wanting to see grey whales in their breeding grounds during the winter months.
Footage of the friendly sea mammal went viral after being shared on social media. It shows the huge whale swim up to the boat and curiously pop its head out of the water.
An American tourist in a white hat then bends down and pats the whale on the nose as the other tourists start shouting: 'Kiss it, kiss it.' Eventually he leans down and gives the whale a peck.
The animal clearly enjoys the attention and stays in the same position so the tourist can lean down for repeated smooches.
Gray whales spend the summer months off Alaska but head 6,000 miles south to the warmer waters in Mexic in January, February and March to mate and give birth.
Decades ago it was very rare for whales to approach boats as researchers believed the animals associated them with hunters.
However, now whale hunting in the area is almost non-existent, cases of curious whales interacting with sightseeing boats are far more common, researcher Steven Swartztold the BBC.
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