Gray Whales Rub Against Boat (Seen From UNDERWATER VIEWING PODS)

Whale watchers aboard our catamaran Manute'a experienced a rare and up-close wildlife encounter with two migrating gray whales off the coast of Dana Point, California. The whales approached the boat and spent more than one hour swimming around and under the vessel, often within arm’s reach of surprised passengers. From the boat’s exclusive eye-to-eye underwater viewing pods, one of the large whales could be seen gently rubbing against the hull before surfacing under the ‘eye-spy’ tram nets that separate the twin hulls of the catamaran. Our boat was in neutral during the encounter.
Such unusually friendly behavior, known as a mugging, is more often reserved for the mating and birthing lagoons in Baja California, Mexico. There, gray whales are now known as the friendly whale because they will come over to boats specifically to interact with people. In the lagoons a gray whale mothers will even nudge their young calves over to the boat to be touched! It is rare for gray whales to exhibit the kind of behavior seen in this video along the migration route.
Southern California residents are familiar with the annual migration of these large marine mammals and know Dana Point to be one of the best places to view the migration. Gray whales often travel within a mile or two of the coast, and are believed to use Dana Point’s headlands as a landmark on their route.
Filmed by Craig DeWitt aboard Capt. Dave's whale watching catamaran sailboat "Manute'a".
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Captain Dave's Dolphin and Whale Watching Safari offers daily, year-round, dolphin and whale watching trips from Dana Point, California, aboard a hi-tech catamaran sailboat with Eye-to-Eye Underwater Viewing Pods.
Tel: [phone]
Web: www.dolphinsafari.com
Facebook: / captdaveswhalewatching
Instagram: / captdaveswhalewatching
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Dolphin and whale footage is copyright David Anderson/DolphinSafari.com and may not be used without permission.

[@alyrafsanjani6928]

damn i have this sudden urge want to remove the barnacle from the whale

[@thizzam]

Wish they would let us remove those darn barnacles!!

[@josephkwemoi2972]

Remove the barnacles

[@katherineuribe2952]

Sweet whales! It's wonderful that they can trust us!💖🐳💖

[@neelesh-1846]

One guy was recording with a tablet? OMFG!!

[@wowalamoiz9489]

"Honey, it's the big backscratchers those weird tiny things live in!"

[@captdaveswhalewatching]

LOL!

[@plinyelder8156]

There’s no such thing as a California gray whale. It’s just called gray whale.

[@TheMikedngb]

Only a California fruitcake would make such an asinine statement.

[@Theclaidheamhmor]

Sounds very Californian thing to say

[@prairierider7569]

I remember watching a humpback documentary last week and they stated that humpbacks have species specific barnacles, is that the same for each whale/dolphin species?

[@scooter6582]

They need a brush like they have for cows. Cows just walk up and rub all over it you would think you could make a floating one for a whale to just swim up and rub all over it

[@captdaveswhalewatching]

I bet the whales would love that!

[@hugothompson3709]

Would also be great for attracting whales if it helped them rub off their lice.

[@ginevragali2981]

Didn't see much scratching action, but I was really waiting for that guy to drop his tablet on top of the whale!

[@lindam4953]

Lol

[@StampinRN]

Wow!

[@kimberlypotts9734]

Praying for the whale

[@riccardofrau5944]

BRUTAL POWER ANIMAL !!!!!!

[@gracemoore9904]

They're looking for help removing barnacles and parasites

[@captdaveswhalewatching]

It must be hard not having hands to help to remove them!

[@ganjad8329]

I wonder if they rub themselves against boats to maybe get rid of the barnacles :(

[@captdaveswhalewatching]

Yes, it's possible.

[@CajunA79]

Why don't the sealife research people go out to help remove those barnacles on whales?

[@mojo7618]

because maybe thats a little dangerous task?

[@marceau425]

Trying to get the barnacles off..

[@captdaveswhalewatching]

Maybe!

[@GeneralCreed]

Poor things asking for help getting those nasty barnacles scrubbed off

[@virginvegan9934]

When they bump the boat suddenly, all the people drop their phones and cameras in the water! Expensive trip!

[@schoolwork232]

😂😂😂

[@rogersilva9372]

Hi beautiful

[@user-jh1ej6ft7r]

สงสารจังมีแต่ตัว เพรียงเต็มไปหมดเขา อคงอยากจะให้มนุยษเอาออกให้ ป่าวเน้อ สวสารจัง

[@1916lunt]

How about putting blades on the boats to rub against? Dumb idea probably

[@captdaveswhalewatching]

Engine propellers already do damage to wildlife. We'd much rather have the whales be safe.

[@michelineandre5613]

Ce sont des animaux pacifistes car si il voulait avec sa queue il pourrait renverser le bateau mais la il emploi de la douceur, sachant que nous sommes des êtres humains donc fragile

[@mecorion1296]

Почести е его от паразитов