Whale watchers on a tour in Fort Bragg, Northern California got a treat of a lifetime when a grey whale came right up to their boat.
Video taken by Anchor Charter Boats and posted on social media shows the encounter. At one point, a couple of people on the boat reached out to pet the whale with their hands. You can see the whale's head bobbing up and down as it lingers around the boat.
Under the federal Marine Mammal Protection Act, you have to remain 300 feet away from whales. Representatives for Anchor Charter Boats said the whale came right up to the boat as they were in the ocean.
“We were out whale watching and the whale came to the boat while we were in neutral,” Anchor Charter Boats said. “It then played with the boat for an hour and a half. It seemed to be very playful and enjoyed being around people. It kept rubbing on the boat and putting its face up near people. We did not move the boat at all after the whale first approached us.”
Tom Peschak, a photographer for National Geographic, chronicled his experience of alternating between unusually interactive grey whales and getting the perfect shot in a Baja lagoon in an article.
He described grey whales as curious creatures.
Anchor Charter Boats added: “Everyone was very excited. It was a once in a lifetime show. The whale was as curious about us as we were about it.”
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As for how rare this experience was, the company said they had never seen anything at this level: "We have seen friendly ones before but not like this one."
