Grey Whale Lets Boat Captain Pick Lice Off Its Head
Malorie Thompson
When you go out to explore the great outdoors, you never quite know what you're going to experience. If you're lucky and patient enough, you might just be treated to an extraordinary encounter with wildlife.
That happened to boat captain Paco Jimenez Franco. He's spent years taking small tour groups out on the water to look at grey whales and other wildlife, and he's built a special relationship with some animals as a result.
Photo: Recently, he got to experience something incredible while out on the water. A grey whale popped its head above the surface and allowed Paco to remove lice from his head!
It's almost as if the whale knew that Paco was trying to help and he totally cooperated with the man.
Photo: The ecotourism company Silver Shark Adventures shared a video of the interaction on Instagram, writing:
"The trust between the grey whales and boat captains at the calving lagoon of Ojo de Liebre in Guerrero Negro is something developed over the numerous encounters throughout the years."
Photo: They went on to say, "This whale had no objections with our captain Paco @pacojimenezfranco picking whale lice off of its head. Thank you Jordan Lightner for capturing this incredible moment during our adventure."
You can see the incredible moment for yourself below:
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, grey whales were pushed the the brink of extinction until international conservation measures were enacted in the 1930s and 1940s.
Despite their history of being killed by whalers, the NOAA notes that "gray whales are known for their curiosity toward boats in some locations and are the focus of whale watching and ecotourism along the west coast of North America."
