Added: 6 years ago
From: intrepberkexplorer
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  • aw he wants to say hello :3

  • See....it doesn't matter how big or small or what species we are......we all want love and compassion :)

  • The brain to body mass ratio of most whales is very close to our own. They're at least as smart as young children, and quite possibly sentient. This whale is genuinely curious and friendly.

  • Now THATS what i call a close enounter, awesome awesome footage

  • nasty looking whale tell it to take a shower.

  • I wonder if it's interacting with the boat or the people. Boats tend to be the correct size and shape that whales can mistake them for other whales. (See Springer and Luna the killer whales that rubbed against boats, and the humpback whale calf that tried to suckle off a yacht in Sydney in 2008).

  • Amazingly their breath smells like shrimp/prawn - coming from their diet of Krill. My step mother is Japanese and USED to eat whale as a child, not for the last 20 years - she said the sale is a niche market and the meat used at dinners between rich bankers. She said it tastes like a salty, more tender venison but with hints of their diet. She fights against consumption and hunting of whales for 20 years and I do to!

  • Maybe this whale thought you guys were a ocean cleaning station lol

  • Amazing! Very sweet! You are very lucky to encounter such a friendly giant!

  • eww I hate barnacles lol. wow what a cute whale! you are SO fucking lucky.

  • this is proof that they are able to feel emotion such as forgiveness and compassion,years back the whales where hunted there but the whales fought back and then humans and whales kept their distance but one fisherman and one whale created a bond between them again

  • absolutely amazing. must have been such a thrill. such beautiful creatures. i wish whaling wasnt an issue. i wish we had no need for the IWC. its devastating to know how some of these animals are ruthlessly slaughtered. it makes my skin crawl. but wow... that whale really liked u humans, and if one whale can play for human affection, just imagine whats really goin on with them. theres so much we dont see. these kinds of things make me believe in God.

  • Awwwh how nice. I bet it's not very often a whale will come that close to people. It's a shame how humans can scare animals and make them to not trust us. Not all people are bad...I wish animals could read our mind. Whales are lovely, they're so peaceful and relaxing to watch.

  • It's amazing that he/she is enjoying this so much that she is letting humans rub her inner mouth--that's just amazing. Who knew balleen was itchy?! What trust and joy!

  • You dont need seaworld aquariums or cages. They'll come to you in their environment!

  • @Crazy21Grl,

    To avoid misleading people, I need to emphasize that this particular whale was super-friendly, way more so than what people otherwise see at the San Ignacio Lagoon, which is usually very impressive.

    From my camp three boats set off for an island, and two of them made it there, never encountering this amazing whale. By pure luck I was in the third boat and this clip is a highlight of my free travel video, "The Whale's Tale".

    Luck is never something you can count on.

  • @Crazy21Grl Keeping whales captive is so wrong. So, so wrong. What they do to orcas at SeaWorld is like trapping a human in a closet.

  • @Crazy21Grl unless you are japanese

  • There isn't a mammal on the planet that doesn't like a good itch.

  • people shont tuch

  • This may sounds insane, but I would gladly give up my life just to protect these animals...all animals. I would let god take me so these animals and all animals would no longer be hunted or abused. God bless these animals and for EVERYTHING he has given us. They deserve to live more than we do.

  • @MuayThaiReaper101 i agree so much that these amazing animals deserve this wonderful life and our beautiful planet so much more than we do. all animals. we are destroying this earth weve been given, were ruining the only home that these animals have. and they cant defend themselves, they cant fight to bring it back when we pollute it and harvest all the fruits of the ground for our greedy ways. god-bless. something needs to change.

  • i can't believe this whale is soaking up the attention like that. he/she really loves to be spoiled. god is wonderful.

  • I wonder what whales feel like...I'd love to give a whale a pat and scratch its barnacles. Is that the equivalent of scratching behind the ears?

  • OMG SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO CUTE. *ultimate jealousy feelings*

  • I just returned from San Ignacio and loved this experience. Everyone should go to see what these amazing animals are like.

  • @kelams10 Totally

  • Hysterical! I used it in a blog post: /candacewhiting/2011/03/04/irr­esistable-friendly-whale-video­-if-you-have-the-chance-go-see­-the-whales/

  • @cmcwhiting,

    Both the whales and I appreciate your enthusiastic review. Keep in mind this is only a clip from my complete video of San Ignacio, entitled "The Whale's Tale".  This film can be reached by either clicking on the link above or asking a search engine for: Intrepid Berkeley Explorer

  • This is awesome, I hope to experience something like this some day

  • im so jelous

  • Comment removed

  • asome

  • amazing!!! I have heard that whales have smthg like a thousand dolphin consciousnesses, and that dolphins are really smthg special upon the planet. therefore whales must be ultra special!! great video :)

  • Oh, I would LOVE to be able to touch a whale. They are SO majestic and just amazing. 

  • This is cool!

  • Everyone loves to be coddled!

  • Wait....how many people did we have on the boat again?

  • I've always loved whales - they fascinate me, and they're so wonderful!

    I really wish I could pet one. :)

  • I guess the whale jumping onto the boat wasn't a consideration? it happens...

    but this looked like a ton of fun, I'm jealous

  • fuck the japanese they kill whales on a massive scale, like 1000's a month, and dolphins, like 23,000 a year for no reason, check it out.. type in youtube, dolphin slaughter in taiji.. to see some of the most moving and demented stuff ever

  • @vegaspimp222 don't worry... TSUNAMI was their payback... if they wont learn.. more tsunamis to come..

  • WOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW­WWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!! LUV IT! !! <3 [Go VeGan]

  • AMAZING!!! I love whales and I always will. Greenpeace have made a great job in effort to protect these fantastic animals legally. We must to support their ideals of protection and to join them in this fight.

  • hes like, "GET THESE BARNACLES OFF PLEASE!!!!!!!"

  • What are those dots on its back?

  • These whales all have barnacles, which may be attached in the womb. It seems unlikely the barnacles are parasites, instead closer to hitch hikers. They grab food as the whales swim.

    Every gray whale I saw at San Ignacio had barnacles.

  • @intrepberkexplorer actually barnacles eat the whales dead skin as it sheds

  • whale: "just a little closer.... closer....closer.....BAM!!! I EAT YOUR FACE OFF!!!!!" lol jk whales are better than that! :D cute!!

  • @comixsans hahahahaa..... it'd have to fluff them to death with it's baleen

  • it's wondrefull te see there beautiful animals killed for notting. I hope it will top, because this is a better way to enjoy these great animals. terenia

  • Cool cool cool!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!­!

  • Whales are as good as it gets. They are intelligent, graceful, huge, and usually gentle giants. How anyone could kill these magnificent animals is beyond me.

  • It's sad because they love to come and say hola to people but then that makes them unaware that some boats aren't friendly like the Japanese whale hunters. The japs will eat anything talk about greety.hye whale

  • @teta809,

    I don't defend Japanese whaling practices. However, California Gray Whales are not hunted by Japan's whalers, who kill other species. Commuting up and down from Alaskan waters, Gray Whale calves are at greatest danger from a natural predator, Orca (Killer Whales). Some indigenous tribes in Canada and/or the United States have treaty rights to legally kill a small number of Gray Whales.

  • @teta809 The Japanese hunt mainly Minke whale, which are not endangered. Also, learn to spell if you're going to insult people.

  • @DeadlyChinchilla Wut did teta misspell?

  • @teta809 Don't generalize the Japanese, mmmkay?

  • Isn't it ironic that the biggest animals on the planet are the friendlist

  • @countryfan368 I like to think of whales as "man's OTHER best friend". sad that man is anything but "whale's best friend"

  • I'd love to have been there. I want to know if it's true to see how 'aware' whales can be.

  • I can't believe there are people in this world *cough, Japan cough* that would hunt these adorable buddies for food.

  • A far cry from the time when humans only approached with explosive filled harpoons.

  • "NO, dammit, don't rub my nose, I need to know which way is south, ya hear? SOUTH! Damn tourists..." lol.

  • Do you know that they were known as devil fish to whalers? Grey whales were famous for their attacks on whaler boats

  • I herd gray whales colasites have lice in them

  • OMG how lucky they are to get that close to a whale.

  • the beatles and the whale rock

  • You wouldn't be able to tell from this footage but in the old whaling days the Gray whale was a feared opponent. Because where the Right whale and Sperm whale thrashed around when harpooned, the Gray Whale actively attacked the boats, leaping up from the ocean and crushing the boats underneath them added to smashing the boats with their tails. Gray Whales were so ferocious that the whalers nicknamed them "Devil fish"

    Sure he looks like a big lug but don't piss him off.

  • I hope he eats them all. By the way it looks like a giant pickle, hmm nice and briny.

  • I Wish I Could Touch A Whale! That Seems So Awsome!

  • I Wish I Could Capitalize The First Letter In Every Word! That Seems So Awesome!

  • dont wish for things u already did dumbo!

  • What are those growths? Barnacles?

  • Absolutely right. All the Gray Whales have barnacles, apparently harmless to them.

  • yep

  • Hehe this is delightful footage thanks for sharing :D

  • OMG!!! This is amazing!! I'm pretty jealous of you guys. I really want to see a whale!!

  • So totally cool- I wanna do this!

  • OMG you are so lucky i love whales they inspire me!!hah

  • how cool is that!

  • it's amazing how a mammoth creature which can smash those people like match sticks, can be so friendly.

  • All they want is just to live and japan should stop whaling thanks for this beautiful whale he just show how they are cute and adorable

  • We need to protect these beautiful animals lives from whalers and our pollution. God....life is wonderful, think! We are now and we are the future.

  • @RollingReunion i cant agree more with you. we are humans but some of just dont act like one sometimes. iceland, norway and japan still do a lot of whaling way beyond boundary set up by international whaling commission. whales are beautiful creature and are endangered now just because we dont act like human at times.

  • Ahhh its like petting a very big dog. Haha I wonder if he knows how to play catach. hmm...... wheres my octipus?

  • haha. 'don't you blow me again' 1:51 haha

  • Because if you would educate yourself, you would find that it is believed they very much enjoy the human contact. They initiate this contact by coming to the boats, because they know people are on them that touch them.

  • @LCDLGAZ and it kills me to that some people take advantage of that trust to harm or hunt them in any way :|

  • He/she is initiating this contact. These people are in boats! If they were swimming after them and pestering that would be one thing, but these whales are coming to these boats to get attention.

  • Oh jeah....right there.....

  • How do you blow bubble rings like that?

  • how cute i love whales and i hate the people who kill them!

  • i know=(( i just hope that they dont come up to a boat /ship full of ppl that are gonna kill them! that would be really sad cuz they trust humans...........

  • wow i never touched a whale before, well probably a quater of the world might hav touched a whale...

  • I'm sure you understand that a "friendly" whale likes people. Besides, the diet of Gray Whales is small shrimp, krill, squid, and octopus, along with plankton and mollusks. People kill whales. Whales do not kill people.

  • @intrepberkexplorer

    Do you know that they were known as devil fish to whalers? Grey whales were famous for their attacks on whaler boats...

  • @tr342s for good reason too, how would you feel if a bunch of wierd alien creatures with weapons came up to you with deadly weapons with the intent of harvesting your body fat to render it down for lamp oil and pet food?

  • If you like this sample clip, please watch my complete free video entitled "The Whale's Tale". You need a high speed internet connection. Ask a search engine for: Intrepid Berkeley Explorer

  • wow!thats awesome!

  • Haha. Stupid lady.

    "DON'T YOU BLOW ME AGAIN!"

    God imagine if a man said that

  • No man would say that =)

  • Classic

  • He is actually saying "C'mon smelly humans!! Get to it! These barnacles are driving me nuts! GET EM OFF ME!!!"

  • the sound of the boat engine is sometimes very familiar to whalesounds.

  • My goodness! ...that was lovely!

    ...such a gift!

    what patient old whalefellow!

    I'm so happy for those people and a teensy bit envious : )

  • this thread was hilarious

  • that's a grey whale right?

  • Yes.

  • When it comes to wild animal you cannot predict a behavior on basis of a previous experience. If 10 grey-whales have been "friendly", the eleventh might turn the boat upside down simply by the fact that it is a huge animal. I am not saying grey-whales tend to kill people. I am only saying you cannot thrust them as they are wild animals and act as that. Simply wearing a strong perfume might result in unexpected acts from wild creatures. They act from instincts and not from reason.

  • did you see that one video about the sick sperm whale that attacked a small boat?

  • It's because the whale thought they were trying to kill him.

  • How do you know that? DId it say so?

  • Well if somebody was going to try and kill you would you just stay there?

  • That is not an answer to how you could know about an animal´s reactions. You presume according to human behavior. To often we think animals are like us. They are not. Humans think, animals act. The whale might had hundred reasons to crash the boat. But animals do not need reasons. They act. I am also sure it did not even have bad conscience about killing a man who thried to help it. Do you think it should have bad conscience?

  • Did you see the video? They were trying to kill it. And incase you didn't know whales are smarter than humans. So are dolphins. So yes that is the most likely reason the whale would crash the boat.

  • Yes, I saw the video.

    No, they were not trying to kill, but help it out of the harbour.

    No, whales are not "smarter" than humans. It is ridiculous to say so. How could you ever measure that? Whales do not posess analytical thinking. Animals act on instincts. Whales have a huge brain, it is needed for the immense body and does not necessarily makes them "smart".

    An animal acts on instincts. Sorry, but most probably whales are more stupid than most humans, maybe except you.

  • The whale thought they were trying to kill him. If you don't believe me go look it up and when you see your wrong go flush yourself down your crappy toilet! Oh and if you think that brains don't detect how smart you are that makes you eve MORE stupid!

  • I think the whale recognized the japanese language and knew about Japan´s whalehunting. So it wanted revenge on behalf of all whales. OK?

  • I can agree with that.

  • That was an intelligence test and you did not pass.

    Sorry, but whales are smarter than you, but more stupid than me.

  • What are you talking about nerd? You a stupid idiot!

  • You don´t understand and ask why. But I am the stupid one?

    Sorry no hope for you.

  • No hope for me? Are you talking about the future? I would bet $100 that your something like a plumber.

  • Ask the greywhale. It is so smart that it understood everything right away.

  • You're darn right! The grey whale could kick your butt at anything.

  • no le hagas caso es un amargeitor ajjaj estar ahi y tocarlas te hace ver lo maravilloso de la inteligencia de la naturaleza y lo amorosas que son y sobre todo curiosas de nosotros .... yo tengo un video tambien y lo subo mas delante acavo de ir y fue hermoso

  • a que envidioso y amargator

  • maybe

  • "Friendly" gray whales. How do you know a whale will act rationally according to your definitions of "good" "bad" and "friendly"?

    I think these words means nothing when talking about wild animals. A polar bear that attacks you. Is it "bad" or simply hungry?

    One thing is for sure. Animals do not have "manners" and they might act and behave in for us unpredictable ways.

    This counts also for the grey whale. I speak by experience.

    So take care.

  • The subject is San Ignacio whales, not polar bears. I have a separate video, "Polar Bear Pueblo", that features these magnificent bears.

    Gray Whales eat krill and don't even have teeth. This clip proves that by showing the whale's open mouth. I encountered no dangers at San Ignacio.

    When Gray Whales migrate, their calves are potential prey for Orca (Killer Whales). Orca, despite starring in whale shows at amusement parks, remain predators.

    Not true for Gray Whales.

  • Her are quite a lot of naivity about wild animals. People seems to forget that´s what they are: WILD !

    These tourists can be lucky for getting back alive. It has nothing to do with animals beeing bad or good. Whales are simply big creatures. One lap with the tale and the boat is upside down. I have also seen videos where people have been bitten and dragged hundred meters down in the water before the whale let go. Stay away and let go it be alone.

  • I disagree with your comment as to friendly Gray Whales at the San Ignacio Lagoon. These whales are used to being around people in small boats, choosing human contact. Other whales ignore the boats. There is absolutely no danger. The worst tourist experience at San Ignacio would be failure to encounter enough friendly whales. What you see in the clip resulted from pure luck. Three boats left our camp, but two of them missed seeing the star of this clip.

  • seriously why aren't those ppl getting those barnacles of with a rake? He wants to be raked!

  • If you like this clip, please consider watching the complete free video, less than 15 minutes long, entitled "The Whale's Tale". You need a broadband connection. Ask a search engine for: Intrepid Berkeley Explorer

  • thats totally fake, you can see the zipper on the costume....

  • "thats totally fake, you can see the zipper on the costume...."

    ROFL! you see it too? XD

  • he's hoping for help, just like people want from the space aliens. Know what he needs the most? He needs his barnacles scraped off with a rake. Those parasites are like people's fungus infections. It's not comfortable. It's itchy...

  • There are fish that take off those parasites/barnicles naturally. No person should ever try and 'rake' a whale...

  • oh my word... I would be bawling my eyes out if I ever came across a whale swimming in the ocean like that... that would be a life-altering experience :D

  • me too!

  • amazingg! i love this

    i wish i could do that!

  • such an awsome video that whale seems to love bein petted!

  • AW!

    I LOVE HIM/HER!

    The song in the beginning is perfect too lol!

  • Beautiful video. It makes me so sad when I think of the tame and loving whales being hunted with harpoons and hurt by sonar. We all must stop whaling and high intensity active sonar.

  • I keep thinking how sad it is that they have those darn barnacles attatched and cant do anything about it.

  • Amazing.

    I went whale watching yesterday, and it pretty much helped me decide what I want to be when I'm older... (A Marine Biologist!)

    It was something I'll NEVER forget, they really are amazing creatures.

    Love the video. 5/5!

  • Realistically... you will probably do something mundane and average

  • This is not a sea snake but a simple floating log. Please stop with your cryptozoology.

  • stupidity

  • gorgeous! Wonderful creatures.

  • I'm no whale expert (I'd LOVE to be though) but wasn't the whale telling you to "go away" or something? because i think when they put their flippers out on the surface isn't that a warning? By all means correct me if i'm wrong :)

    I'm very jealous that you've seen a whale up close none the less LOL

  • As to this whale, who attracted so many boats by encouraging close contact with people, it's impossible to believe any warning was issued. At San Ignacio the clip shows how a super-friendly whale behaves. The whale could leave at any time of its own choosing, exactly how things ended.

    My complete video of this trip, "The Whale's Tale", can be watched on line with a broadband internet connection if you ask a search engine for:

    Intrepid Berkeley Explorer

  • For MadAidy: Whales think cognitively. They often wave their fins to people to say hello. It's true. The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society activists saw whales wave to them. The whales know who is good and who is bad. This whale in the video really loved to be petted.

  • Oh, lol silly me! Thank you for informing me :) I think it's when they slap their fins that that means "Stay back" right! I just love Whales ^^

  • Hello MadAidy, is that true? That it means stay back when they slap their fins? They have a complex language. Scientists are finding out more and more about it. :0)

  • Hi, as I say i "think" it's when they slap their fins on the surface that means "Stay back" for example for when there's a Calf in the pod. I'm going to try find a book to shall we say "give me a better education" on the amazing wonders lol ^^

  • Hi MadAidy, Thank you. Would you like to get involved with the Global campaign against high intensity active sonar? Check out Greenpeace, NRDC, and Sea Shepherd Conservation Society for info. Take care. Nicola

  • This is the most amazing thing I have ever seen...what I would give to be able to do that! I find it really interesting that boats are allowed to be this close. When I took a cruise to Alaska last summer, our whale watching guide said we were permitted no closer than 100 yards to these creatures because they were protected. I guess the laws are different in this area.

  • IS that a grey whale or humpback?

  • Gray whales populate Mexico's Baja California San Ignacio Lagoon in winter. Besides hitting (more info), as I wrote above, another way to find things out would be watching the complete video, "The Whale's Tale" and my still pictures of the whales. If interested, ask a search engine for: Intrepid Berkeley Explorer

  • Wow! that is so coll where can you go to do that?

  • Page layout makes the location harder to find now. To the top right of the screen, a click on (more info) would provide the details I originally wrote.

    This location is the San Ignacio Lagoon in Baja California, Mexico. Friendly whales are at other Baja lagoons, but San Ignacio is most famous for whales behaving in such an amazing manner.

  • Whales are so beautiful;I would love to have been in that boat..What an experience;and those people will cherish

    those memories..thanx so much for this.

  • these animals are so graceful and friendly yet i cant understand why people kill them

  • for there blubber

    ppl are really harshful

  • i know ppl need to stop killing whales they didnt do a thing to us

  • wow, that was cool

  • Dont worry some asshole will prob kill it cause thats what people are about, they cant leave well enough alone.Poor whale

  • My god!!! it´s amazing!! so beautiful!! how lucky those people are by receiving such an increadible gift from nature. I wish I was there!! What a lovely video!! beautiful creature! I enjoy watching this video so much, thanks for sharing it with us.

  • See =] whale are forgiving to everything humans have done to them =] Best buds til the end