A Larger-Than-Life Gray Whale Swims Up to a Boat for Hugs and Kisses

Each year, gray whales (Eschrichtius robustus) complete one of the most impressive journeys in the animal kingdom. They travel thousands of miles between their Arctic feeding grounds and the warmer waters of Mexico. What’s truly remarkable, however, is what happens during their winters in the lagoons of Baja California. Here, gray whales come right up to boats and seem to want to interact with the humans on board!

An Epic Migration

Today, there are two main groups of gray whales: one in the eastern North Pacific Ocean and another in the western North Pacific Ocean. These massive ocean mammals can grow nearly 50 feet long and weigh 90,000 pounds! Their giant gray bodies have a patchy appearance and are often covered with whale lice and barnacles.

Like many types of whales, gray whales travel across the ocean each year. However, their yearly journey is exceptionally long — the longest migration of any mammal on Earth! Each year, gray whales travel 10,000 to 14,000 miles. In the United States, you might be lucky enough to see gray whales along the West Coast between November and February.

They spend the summer months feeding in the Arctic to build up their fat stores. Each day, they skim the ocean floor, suctioning up a few thousand pounds of tiny creatures like plankton, amphipods, benthic worms, and small fish. These food reserves are vital when they travel south to the warmer waters of Mexico, where they don’t tend to eat much at all.

The Near-Extinction of the Gray Whale

The gray whale’s story almost ended during the 18th and 19th centuries. The whaling industry nearly hunted them to extinction. During that time, these gentle giants were called “Devil Fish” because whalers found them so difficult to harpoon (the whales often fought back). Thankfully, international regulations were established in the 1940s to protect whales from disappearing forever. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s recent 2023/2024 survey, the number of gray whales is now up to 17,000 to 21,000 in the North Pacific.

The Curious Connection Between Gray Whales and Humans

Considering the violent and tragic history between humans and whales, you might expect these animals to stay far away from us — and most of the time, that’s exactly what they do. But when the whales travel to the Baja Peninsula for the winter, their attitudes shift. Here, they become surprisingly friendly and curious. In places like Baja California and Laguna San Ignacio in Mexico, gray whales act as if they are relaxing on vacation. They’ve already eaten tons of food during the summer, so they don’t need to worry about foraging. Instead, they can just enjoy the warm waters and calm lagoons. Many whales even swim right up to passing boats.

As seen in this YouTube video, a few whales even lift their heads out of the water to say hello! They often even seem to enjoy being affectionately touched, much like a giant, friendly puppy dog. Many locals in this area call the whales “the friendlies” because they are so gregarious and often cozy up next to small boats to interact with humans.

Why Are Gray Whales So Interactive in Baja?

Scientists aren’t really sure why the whales behave like this in Baja California. They don’t do it anywhere else — only during their “vacations” in these lagoons. Some think that perhaps life in the peaceful lagoons gets a bit boring for the whales. They are highly intelligent and curious, so they may look for interactions to keep themselves entertained. Others believe it might be because the whales don’t have to worry about finding food, migrating, or other major threats during this time, so they can simply relax and enjoy themselves.

It’s also possible that this friendly behavior is simply a cultural phenomenon passed down from one generation to the next. These whales also give birth in Mexican waters, and mothers in three specific areas of Baja California often bring their newborn calves right up to whale-watching boats. It’s almost as if the proud mothers are excited to show off their new babies!

Whales are extraordinary animals with sophisticated and complex emotions, cultures, and communication methods. At least in some instances, it seems they may be just as curious about watching us as we are about watching them.