Grey whales approach tourists for affection (cute video)
A lucky group of whale watchers were treated to cuddles from a grey whale and her calf in a heartwarming scene captured on camera.
According to the Daily Telegraph, the footage was shot by Jean-Christophe Arbonne in Laguna San Ignacio, Mexico, and shows the whales seeking out affection from the tourists.
They appear to delight in being stroked and the tourists are equally excited by the situation.
The grey whale is a baleen whale that migrates between feeding and breeding grounds yearly.
It reaches a length of 14.9 metres (49ft), a weight of 36 tonnes, and lives between 55 and 70 years.
The common name of the whale comes from the grey patches and white mottling on its dark skin.
Back in February 2013, a family in California enjoyed the trip of a lifetime after a baby grey whale swam up to their boat looking for strokes for around an hour.
The amazing video was captured by Dave Anderson, who runs Captain Dave's Dolphin and Whale Watching Safari in Baja.
Dave explained that grey whale calves often enjoy people petting them, especially in their mouth and baleen (the part that serves as a filter for catching small food), and likened it to a teething child looking for comfort by having its gums rubbed. Too cute.
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